Cricket South Africa (CSA) paid tribute to and mourned the deaths of two cricket stalwarts who both died of Covid-19 complications.
Richard Dolley, who died at the age of 61, died less than 48 hours after former Proteas team manager, Goolam Rajah. The association’s acting CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, said in a statement that on both the days that the legends passed on, it was the saddest days for the CSA family. “Dolley was very much in the prime of his life as a cricket administrator and educator, two fields in which he had already offered a great deal to his community. The Dolley family is synonymous with cricket in the Eastern Cape. “Both his sons, Corbyn and Brad, represented Eastern Province as did his younger brother, Gary, and his nephew, Josh. He was unfortunate that his playing career came to an end just as the unity process was being completed, which offered cricketers of all backgrounds the chance finally to live their dreams on the stage they deserved,” said Moseki. He extended condolences to his family, his colleagues in Eastern Province Cricket and Westering High School, and his friends. “The late all-rounder will be remembered for achieving more than 1 100 runs and taking 100 wickets for the Eastern Province team. He was a member of the Eastern Province Cricket Board and was deputy principal of Westering High School in Port Elizabeth,” he added.
On the passing of Rajah who died at age 74, Moseki said, “Goolie, as he was known by everybody who had anything to do with South African cricket and particularly the Proteas, served first as team manager and then logistics manager of the national men’s cricket team for close to two decades. At the time of unity, he served on the inaugural Gauteng Cricket Board and was also a senior provincial selector and was co-opted on to the Transvaal Cricket Board executive at the time of the unity negotiations.” Goolie will be remembered with great fondness and gratitude. “Goolam was a very special human being who has touched so many lives in a positive way in the 30 years we have enjoyed being a democratic cricket organisation. We all have our special memories of him which we will treasure. He was truly a man who gave a great deal to the game of cricket and to everybody involved in it. I extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Shaheda, popularly known to us all as Poppy, his children, Mohammed Faeez and Zuraida, his extended family, his friends and colleagues both in the game of cricket and in the wider society,” Moseki added. Lawson Naidoo spoke on behalf of the CSA Board and said, “One can never have a successful team without good administration behind them. Goolam played a major role in making sure that they were not side-tracked by off-the-field issues.”
