SYDNEY. Aug 7 : Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke said today he would like to see a South African cricket team participate in the World Cup being played in Australia and New Zealand next year, reports BSS.

in a televised interview. Hawke said sporting sanctions would be among the first to be ended in a phased lifting of sanctions as the process of dismantling apartheid continued.

He included sporting sanctions, visa restrictions anfi the restoration of airline links among what he described as "people sanctions," which he said would be first to be lifted by Australia.

All that was required for sporting sanctions to be lifted was for each international body to acknowledge an end to apartheid in the South African sporting organisations.

He believed soccer would be first — “And I personally hope that they (South Africa) will be tn the international cricket competition here In

the early part of next year."

All that was needed now for visa restrictions to be lifted and air links to be restored was the completion of the release of political prisoners.

That is something that could easily happen in the next week or so." he said.

But he said the lifting of sanctions on trade investment and financial links would require the establishment and interim government or "a constituent assembly" in which the African National Congress was involved.

However, an arms embargo would not be lifted until a new black majority government was in place.

"Having been at the forefront of Imposing sanctions I want Australia to be at the forefront of responsibly removing them." he said.

He also confirmed that if the process of dismantling apartheid was progressing well and there was no question about their reversibility he would like to visit South Africa later this year.