Proteas coach Mark Boucher has surfaced in murmurs following the sudden resignation of team assistant coach Enoch Nkwe.
What’s the real reason behind Enoch Nkwe’s resignation?
Speculation has been rife over the true motivation behind Nkwe’s decision to step down from assisting the South African national cricket team in their preparations ahead of a crucial tour in Sri Lanka this October.
The cricket team has had a poor run of results and more than anything, it seems that low morale inside the locker room may be the root cause.
In a statement, Cricket South Africa confirmed Nkwe’s resignation and indicated that despite numerous attempts made by the board to retain his services, the former first class cricketer emphasised his wish to “focus on personal growth and professional development.”
“During these discussions he also raised concerns about the functioning and culture of the team environment,” CSA revealed”
The cricket authority confirmed that an investigation would be launched to probe the issues Nkwe brought up.
Rumour mill runs wild on Boucher
Nkwe’s sudden exit has opened up a closed chapter in the Protea’s locker room drama. In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, the national team had gone on a culture-building camp and according to Boucher, the squad returned form the trip in high spirits.
“Our new value system is about respect, empathy and belonging and I think all of those lead to an environment where guys feel free and open to talk about these hard issues,” he said at the time.
The camp came after cricketer Lunga Ngidi had raised concerns about repressive policies and racially influenced factions within the group.
Former cricketer Paul Adams also captured the spotlight in July when he testified before the CSA’s Social Justice and Nation Building (SJNB) hearings, where he outrightly named Boucher as a participant in microaggressive shenanigans that went on inside the Protea’s locker room at the time.
Adams told the commission about a team chant that always rang loud after games, where he was referred to as a ‘brown s**t’.
This chant, Adam reflected, only triggered him once his wife Adrianna who, at the time was his girlfriend, noted with concern how offensive the phrase ‘brown s**t’ was.
“My now wife, back then my girlfriend, she would always make a comment to me about it. She [asked], ‘why are they talking to you like that?’ ‘Why would they call you that name?, it’s not right.’ I would just shrug it off,” he said.
On Monday, faced with pressure from fans who’ve called for his axing, Boucher submitted a 14-page affidavit to the SJNB admitting his role in the racist name-calling but refuted claims that he had coined the phrase.
“I can categorically say I did not give Mr Adams the name ‘brown s**t’. I don’t know who gave him the name. I apologise unreservedly for any offensive conduct, real or perceived, that has been attributed to me,” he wrote.
To this end, the CSA has not made any public statements about their dealings with Boucher. The cricket authority has opted to remain mum about its handling of the situation behind closed doors, pending the outcome of the hearings.
Here’s how social media reacted when the news of Nkwe’s resignation surfaced:
Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith and Jacque Kallis have done their racist part as far as cricket is concerned they should be socially distanced from that team.
— Mr Handsome (@Noxza_dube) August 25, 2021
You can see it on the guys faces and body language that the team environment is not what it is supposed to be.
— Tiisetso Malepa (@TiisetsoMalepa) August 25, 2021
You can also see it in Mark Boucher as he walks past.#BoucherOut pic.twitter.com/W3drnLKHiT
The Proteas won't win the T20 World Cup with Mark Boucher in charge. Revisit this statement on the eve of the final. The Proteas won't be in it. https://t.co/fJ5qqE0VJl
— Gasant Abarder (@GasantAbarder) August 24, 2021