India's first tour of South Africa in 1992 was a moment in history

When India went to South Africa in 1992, the first team to visit post dismantling of apartheid, I was the team manager. The ‘Friendship Series’ was played in the backdrop of political turmoil and, from a cricket standpoint, it was a ride on an unlit highway without a google map.

- Amrit Mathur

First, some context. In 1992 India and SA didn’t have diplomatic relations, we didn’t recognise the FW De Klerk government and Indian passports carried a stamped warning: ‘not valid for Israel and South Africa’.

Cricket wise, South Africa was as unknown — nobody knew anything about players, pitches, conditions or grounds. Complete ignorance. Illustrated by the question asked by one player in the first team meeting: Yeh captain Kepler Wessels kaun hai?

Team meetings ahead of games were essentially casual where everybody had tea and wished each other luck. India’s first-ever tour was the equivalent of cricket played blind — classic teen patti. Pre-tour preparation was practically zero. No conditioning camp or team practice. Players gathered in Bombay a few days before departure only to collect tour clothing and pose for the customary team photo before boarding the flight. The tour agreement with South Africa wasn’t signed and I was told to settle playing conditions with Ali Bacher.