CALCUTTA. Nov 10 : South Africa returned to international cricket Sunday after a 21 -year banish-

ment when captain CBve Rice tossed a 1901 gold-plated silver coin to begin a one-day limited overs match against India, reports AP.

Mee — at 42 the oldest pl^er to make a debut In tn ternatlona) cricket — lost the toss to Indian captain Mohammad Axharuddln who invited the South Africans to bat BnL

The spin of the coin for-maBy rejoined South Africa as the eighth Tcet ploying nation after England, Austrafia. New Zealand. India. Pakistan, West Indies, Srl Lanka.

1 feel as tf I hove the world today." said the South African national team's spokesmen. Chrie Day, after the toes in the greens of Eden Gardens stadium. named for a sister of a governor-general when India was under the British rule.

This is something we have smlud for long," Day said. "It is dtflfcuh to believe it is happening. we are playing agslnl We have got a place under the

As the first ball was bowled, sounds of exploding firecrackers reverberated around the stadium. In this overcrowded sports cracy dty of 10 mdlton people, children and young men play cricket even on roads to overcosae the lack of open spaces.

The first run for South Africa came when opener Jimmy Cook flicked a ball from

medium-pacer Kapil Dev in the Mt over of the SO-over match-South Africa was banished from international cricket in 1970 for its policy of apartheid, or racial segreos-tton. The ban was lifted this year by the Commonwealth Summit, which decided Pretoria had taken sufficient steps tMtord dismantling its old anartheid system.