Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday dropped all charges of gross misconduct, including racism, against national men’s team head coach Mark Boucher, less than a week before he was set to defend himself in a disciplinary hearing. (More Cricket News)
Boucher, a former wicketkeeper batter, was charged with racist behaviour and also faced possible sacking from the post after he was accused by ex-South Africa teammate Paul Adams of singing a song that had racially derogatory wording in meetings after matches in their playing days.
However, CSA said none of the charges were ‘sustainable’ after Adams and former Proteas assistant coach Enoch Nkwe decided not to testify at next week’s hearings. The recent ruling in the Graeme Smith arbitration also fortified the conclusion that the charges against Boucher would be dismissed.
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“The CSA Board has now taken the decision to formally withdraw all of the disciplinary charges against Mr Boucher. This includes the charges arising from the SJN report and the charges arising from the investigation following Mr Nkwe’s resignation,” the board said in a statement.
“The allegations of racism which were levelled against me were unjustified and have caused me considerable hurt and anguish,” Boucher said in a statement. “The last few months have been extremely difficult to endure for me and my family.
“I am glad that the process has finally come to an end and that CSA has accepted that the charges against me are unsustainable. I consider that the matter is now finalised and closed and I do not intend making further statements on this matter.
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“I look forward to continuing to focus on my job and to taking the Proteas men's team to even greater heights,” Boucher added.
One of the best international wicketkeepers of his time, Boucher was handed a seven-page charge sheet in January by CSA, which accused him of gross misconduct and bringing the sport’s apex body into disrepute through historical and current handling of racial issues.
It was after CSA had received a report from the independent Social Justice & Nation-Building (SJN) in December last year, which made some "tentative findings" against Boucher.
Lawson Naidoo, Chair of the CSA Board, states, “CSA has at all times been committed to dealing with the SJN issues in a manner that treats them with utmost seriousness but also ensures fairness, due process and finality.
“The decision to withdraw the charges brings about finality on these issues for CSA and Mark and allows the focus to return to the cricket field – where we trust that Mark and the Proteas will go from strength to strength.”
WIth PTI Inputs
