Dates confirmed for Proteas coach Mark Boucher to face the music

The disciplinary hearing into the ‘gross misconduct’ charge levelled against Proteas great and current coach Mark Boucher will take place in May this year.

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In a dramatic statement, Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that various charges had been levelled against Boucher. 

This comes after former national spinner Paul Adams implicated Boucher in a racial incident when the two were team-mates, alleging that the former wicket-keeper was part of a group who called him a “brown sh*t”.

Boucher and his team of heavyweight legal representatives met with the chairperson of his disciplinary hearing, Advocate Terry Motau, on Wednesday, 26 January to agree to a timetable for the legal proceedings.

Boucher will continue in his current role throughout the duration of the upcoming series against New Zealand and Bangladesh.

The disciplinary proceedings have been set down for 16-20 May with these dates welcomed by Boucher’s hot-shot lawyer Mohammed Chavoos.

“We welcome this ruling, and it gives Mark the opportunity to focus on his duties as the head coach,” Chavoos told Sport24.

“It also enables his legal team to properly prepare for the May hearings. Mark also looks forward to establishing that the allegations made against him are misconstrued and unjustified.”

CSA previously confirmed that a charge sheet, containing both the disciplinary charges against Boucher, as well as his rights, was provided to him on 17 January. The upcoming inquiry will also consider concerns and allegations that arose following the resignation of former assistant coach, Enoch Nkwe.

While Boucher is being charged with gross misconduct, which could lead to his dismissal, CSA emphasised it is important that the independent inquiry first needs to test all allegations before any question of sanction can arise.

According to media reports, the charge sheet includes the following assertions: “The nature of your misconduct is gross and of such a serious nature to warrant termination of your employment.”

“Your conduct has resulted in an irretrievable breakdown in the trust relationship between you and CSA. In the circumstances, the sanction of dismissal will be sought before the chairperson of the disciplinary enquiry,” the sheet continued.

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Some of the accusations CSA levelled at Mark Boucher included:

• Historically repeatedly used racist and/or offensive and/or inappropriate nicknames regarding a Proteas team-mate.
• Having had your racist and/or offensive and/or inappropriate utterances drawn to your attention, you failed to adequately and/or sufficiently and/or appropriately apologise for these utterances and/or acknowledge the racist nature of these utterances and/or hurt that they caused.
• You have conducted yourself in a racist or subliminally racist manner; and/or
• You have conducted yourself in a manner which is unbecoming of an employee in your position
• Your conduct has brought CSA into disrepute.

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