The KZN Cricket fraternity has learnt with great sadness the passing of KZN Cricket stalwart, Krish Reddy. An avid cricket devotee, Reddy has embedded a legacy at all levels of the game as a player, administrator, selector, statistician and historian. Reddy spent a major part of his life researching and preserving the information of Black and non-racial cricket in South Africa that was played prior to the unification of cricket in 1991. The information Reddy recovered of many statistical records of Black and non-racial cricket played at provincial and national levels, were regularly published in the Mutual and Federal South African Cricket Annual from 1996 to 2003. In recognition of his work in this field, he was presented with a special scroll on behalf of the Mutual and Federal South African Cricket Annual for the “accurate recording of the deeds of generations of cricketers” on the occasion of the publication of the 50th volume of the Annual in 2003.
In 1986, Reddy compiled a history of the Natal Cricket Board as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations. Subsequently, he wrote numerous articles on Black cricket in national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of The Other Side, an anthology of black cricket in Natal, which was published in 1999. He is also the co-author with Dr Ashwin Desai, Prof Vishnu Padayachee and Dr Goolam Vahed the cricket publication Blacks in Whites, a century of cricket struggles in KwaZulu-Natal, published in 2002. His detailed statistical record of Basil D’Oliveira in black cricket in South Africa was included as an appendix to Peter Oborne’s book entitled D’Oliveira: Cricket and Conspiracy- The Untold Story, winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in the United Kingdom.
Subsequent to his publications already mention Reddy has co-authored numerous publications covering the history of black cricket in South Africa.
An avid reader on the game both locally and internationally and deeply conscious of its rich traditions and history, Reddy was invited by the Editor of Wisden, to be part of a panel of 100 cricket analysts from all parts of the world to help choose Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century. He also helped select South Africa’s Ten Cricketers of the Century.
After several years of close involvement with non-racial cricket, Reddy has also served the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union with distinction both as a member of the Executive and as a selector for ten consecutive years and was a patron of the KZN Cricket Union until hi untimely death
KZN Cricket President, Mr Yunus Bobat, has expressed his sadness: “On behalf of KZN Cricket Union, we would like to extend our sincere condolences to Krish’s family, friends and colleagues in the cricket community. This is a great loss for KZN and a sad day for the SA cricket fraternity. We will always appreciate and honour the unwavering passion Krish showed to uplift our beautiful game.”
These sentiments were further echoed by KZN Cricket CEO, Mr Heinrich Strydom: “Mr Reddy was a great man who served this game with distinction. May his soul rest in peace.”
Reddy will forever be fondly remembered by colleagues, players and friends within the cricket fraternity.
Reddy’s funeral will be held in Clare Estate Crematorium on Sunday, 16 October 2022 from 12H00 to 13H30.
