The politics of South African cricket

The sport of cricket has particular political connotations as it embraces an ethos that is symbolic of a wider-held belief system. Sport is subject to influences far beyond the playing field. Politics is also subject to the same social and economic influences. The popular and widespread view that sport and politics do not mix emanates from conservative ideology. Focusing on the sports boycott as a political strategy, Jon Gemmell analyses the relationship between sport and politics through an historical analysis of South African cricket. He argues convincingly that cricket assisted the reform process by undermining the legitimacy of the apartheid regime.This volume was previously published as a specialk issue of the journal Sport in the Global Society