Shocking letters reveal Don Bradman's shattering confession about the last stages of his life - and his very surprising stance on stars who broke apartheid bans The great Don Bradman's view that rebel Aussie cricketers were right to take huge amounts of money to play in South Africa during apartheid has been revealed in a series of letters that also expose the sadness the sporting icon felt in the final years of his life.
Rebel tours to South Africa encountered intense opposition, as former England skipper Mike Gatting (centre) found out during this protest in 1989.
The correspondence offers valuable insight into what the Australian thought about a range of the biggest issues facing the game - including the fact he thought it was hypocritical for Australia to condemn stars for touring racially divided South Africa at a time when the federal government was freely trading with the country.
Apartheid was a system of institutionalised racial segregation and discrimination implemented in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.
It enforced strict racial divisions, denying basic rights and freedoms to the majority black population while privileging the white minority.
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