While we drank wine and ate sushi in the sun at the announcement of Standard Bank’s return to cricket, Stuart Hess, The Star’s cricket writer, had but one burning question: “Does this mean the return of Stan the Duck?”
Standard Bank officials were sketchy on just what had happened to Stan the Duck, cricket’s enduring mascot from last decade. A Google search throws up just three references to Stan (and one to an American Stan).
One was a link to a 2006 event, another the company that built the Stan the Duck costume, and the other to a story that reported that a Sky Sports presenter believed Stan should have been named Man of the Series instead of Graeme Smith. It was a three-match ODI massacre in early 2005.
South Africa bowled Zimbabwe out for 136 in Joburg after scoring 301, knocked them over for 198 in Durbs after banging 329 and then cruised to a five-wicket win in PE.
Stan the Duck will not return to South African cricket. Neither will Hardy, the mascot so short that they had to employ really little people to wear the costume.
Stan is, apparently, in a heap at the back of a room at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, which, lest we forget, is also the headquarters of African cricket.
No-one seems to know how it came to pass that Stan was left on the East Rand. Just another lost victim of when Standard Bank left South African cricket all those years ago.I have heard stories of how and why Standard Bank originally pulled out.
They were preparing to retrench staff and spending money on sport was not a great look, but Standard Bank wanted to remain in cricket. I was told a story by a person with inside knowledge of how Gerald Majola, the former CEO who was booted out, avoided meeting with Standard Bank executives when they wanted to negotiate an extension of their contract.
Requests for meetings went unanswered. The sport’s biggest sponsor was treated like an ex-girlfriend rather than a trusted partner. And so they left.
They have remained at the Wanderers in the shape of their hospitality suite. Well, suite does not do it justice.
It is a two-storey, stand-alone building beside the scoreboard next to the cheapest seats in the stadium, just in front of the flats. David O’Sullivan and I had a memorable book launch there in 2010.
There was sushi and wine and beer. Clive Eksteen, Steven Jack, Albie During, Ali Bacher and Jonty Rhodes, then an employee of Standard Bank, told us stories.
None of them once mentioned Stan the Duck.
He was not there. I had asked for him to be invited. Cricket needs Stan the Duck, or at least Stan needs a fitting resting place. At the least, there should be a plaque, perhaps a bust, or Stan’s costume in a glass case.
Stan deserves at least that.
The Star