Kobus Olivier, former opening partner of Gary Kirsten, has no plans to leave Ukraine.
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Ukrainian soldiers take positions in downtown Kyiv as Russia pressed its invasion to the outskirts of the capital. Olivier remains locked in his apartment. (AP)
“I heard nine explosions yesterday morning and that left me startled. When I looked out of the window, it was like a movie… children running across the streets, some of them with boxes in their hands which had pets in them. Their parents were visibly panicking and rows of cars were waiting in the queue to leave the city. I knew the war had come,” recounted Kobus Olivier, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ukraine Cricket Federation.
As tension soared in the country, the 62-year-old former club cricketer in his native South Africa who now resides in Nyvky ( a Kyiv suburb, 15 minutes from the city centre) was glued to the television catching updates. As Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine, targeting cities and military bases with airstrikes or shelling, Olivier says he is better prepared than most of the other civilians.
“I had already withdrawn cash and stacked up rations because I knew this was coming. A lot of people did not want to believe it.
“Now they are near our apartment. The Russian army can enter anytime soon. I keep hearing sounds of missiles and bombs so pray for us that it all ends soon,” he told the indianexpress.com on Friday morning.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Friday the Ukrainian capital “has entered into a defensive phase” as Russian troops brought the sounds of war to the city. “Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighbourhoods. Saboteurs have already entered Kyiv. The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us,” he told a news briefing.
Meanwhile, Olivier is accompanied in his apartment by his four dogs. “They are my family and I can’t take them out now. So, all of us are here in this room,” he said.
Olivier is accompanied in his apartment by his four dogs. (Instagram)
In his playing days, Olivier even batted with former South Africa opener and head coach of the 2011 World Cup winning Indian side Gary Kirsten. Together they opened the batting at club level for Alma Marist. “We batted at the top for two seasons and then when I was the director of cricket at the University of Cape Town, he was the coach.”
Incidentally, it was during this period that Kirsten would appear for the interview for the post of India coach. As their careers moved in different directions, Olivier moved from South Africa and fell in love with Ukraine. He stayed back in the country, working as a teacher. Simultaneously, he followed his passion of taking cricket to new frontiers, coaching youngsters. His team mainly features Indians who are in Ukraine pursuing courses.
Gary Kirsten and Kobus Olivier. (Instagram)
Staying put
But isn’t he planning to leave the country amidst the growing turmoil?
“No, I’ll be here. I am here for cricket and things will get back to normal soon. There is no leaving this place.”
Olivier has been at the forefront of developing the game in Ukraine along with the federation’s president Hardeep Singh. The equipment for the junior sides mostly comes from Dubai.
But for cricket to take root in the country, locals need to be engaged. The Indian community in the town of Kaharlyk has helped build a picturesque cricket ground and hope that when hostilities cease, children will get introduced to the sport.
In Ukraine, cricket has been played for more than 20 years and the country has also applied for status as an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council.
Cricket ground in Ukraine. (Photo: Ukraine Cricket Facebook page)
A week before the war began, Olivier had even spoken to Cricket Russia President Ashwani Chopra on the possibility of a match between teams from the two countries. “We share a very nice bond and know each other well. He was expressing concern for me the other day.”
In fact, Russia Cricket’s social media handle, in a response to Romanian cricketer Pavel Florin’s concern, expressed grief and said, “The only battle should be on a cricket field.”
Russia cricket on social media. (Screengrab)
Russia’s tryst with cricket reportedly goes back to the 1870s when the first game was played in St. Petersburg. However, it soon faded out before making a comeback in the late 1990s through expats. In 2004, the United Cricket League was registered as a legal entity, later rechristened as Cricket Russia. Now there is a cricket academy where 50 native boys, 32 native men, and 58 native girls are enrolled.
Olivier wants the war to end and hopes good sense prevails so that people can live a normal life again and young children can return for a game on the field. “Maybe against Russia, it will take some time but after two years of battling Covid, people deserve a chance to go out and play,” he said.
