Cricket SA drops disciplinary charges against Mark Boucher

JOHANNESBURG – The board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) has withdrawn all charges against national head coach, Mark Boucher.

Boucher was due to face a disciplinary hearing on 16 May following allegations of racism and gross misconduct for bringing CSA into disrepute.

In the wake of the 2020/21 Social Justice & Nation-Building hearings, Boucher was charged for his role in the racial discrimination experienced by former Proteas teammate Paul Adams.

Boucher is alleged to have used racially offensive language towards Adams and was also implicated in the resignation of his former assistant, Enoch Nkwe, last year, who cited concerns with the team culture as a reason for stepping down.

The former wicketkeeper acknowledged being part of a naïve team environment and apologised for joining in with teammates in singing offensive songs or using offensive nicknames.

Both Adams and Nkwe declined to testify at the hearings, while Adams accepted Boucher’s apology.

CSA considered these developments, along with the exoneration of Graeme Smith and concluded that there was no basis to sustain the charges against Boucher.

“CSA appreciates that it has been very difficult for Mark to deal with these charges hanging over his head over the last few months. CSA regrets this. CSA is also appreciative of the fact that Mark has at all times conducted himself properly and professionally – refusing to be drawn into public debates about the charges and carrying out his duties with commitment and dedication. The performance of the Proteas Men’s team over this period has been extremely impressive, particularly in the Test arena, and this speaks to the efforts of Mark, his support staff and the players,” CSA chief executive officer, Pholetsi Moseki, said

CSA and Boucher have discussed the way forward and he is expected to continue in his role after committing themselves to promoting the best interests of South African cricket.