Proteas’ ‘unsung hero’
COVID VICTIM: LONGEST-SERVING MANAGER GOOLAM RAJAH DIES
‘He allowed no detail to escape his attention and he was a shrewd dealmaker.’
South African cricket yesterday mourned the death of its much-loved and longest-serving national team manager, Goolam Rajah, another victim of Covid-19.
The 74-year-old Rajah had been on a ventilator for the past couple of months in a Johannesburg hospital.
In many ways, Rajah was the glue as the Proteas made their way back into international cricket in 1991 and went through tumultuous times such as the 1999 World Cup semi-final tie, the fall of Hansie Cronje and further World Cup disappointments in 2003, 2007 and 2011 (the year he retired); as well as the highs of becoming the number one side in Test cricket through numerous memorable wins on tour.
Apart from being a meticulous man, his logistical and man-management skills were phenomenal. Rajah was the epitome of a gentleman.
Softly spoken, but with a warm smile, any time spent in his company would leave one feeling better for the experience.
A qualified pharmacist, Rajah was the perfect manager. Extremely organised, with a high sense of integrity, he was also a great servant of the game.
Former Proteas captain and coach Gary Kirsten summed up Rajah perfectly in his autobiography:
“Goolam was probably the most unsung hero I have ever encountered. I can categorically state that I never met a more selfless person in the entire decade we were together.
“Goolam’s approach to his job was to add as much value and make life as pleasant and as trouble-free as possible for the people around him. His own goals and ambitions were never apparent.
“The solitary target he set himself on tour was to allow his team to focus all their mental and physical energy on cricket. If they were worried or distracted by anything else, Goolam treated it as a personal failure on his part.
“He allowed no detail to escape his attention and he was a shrewd dealmaker, too. He was generous to a fault and there were times I wished Goolam would just take half an hour for himself,” Kirsten said. –