South African cricket rocked by shocking claims

3 years ago 378

South African cricket manager Mark Boucher has apologised for his engagement successful "totally inappropriate, unacceptable and successful retrospect, understandably offensive" behaviour towards players of colour during his career.

Boucher, who played 147 Tests and represented South Africa from 1997-2012, has been astatine the centre of a firestorm successful caller weeks.

That followed allegations from his erstwhile teammate, rotation bowler Paul Adams, astatine a Cricket South Africa (CSA) Social Justice and Nation Building proceeding past month, wherever Boucher was named arsenic 1 of a fig of achromatic players who called Adams "brown s--t".

In a 14-page submission to the CSA committee, Boucher indicated helium volition person much to accidental erstwhile helium returns from the upcoming circuit of Sri Lanka.

"I volition successful owed people and erstwhile the hearings person been concluded, taxable a complimentary affidavit successful which I volition woody with circumstantial allegations that whitethorn beryllium made during the people of the hearings," helium wrote.

Former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. (Getty)

The wicketkeeper agreed that the word "brown s--t" was utilized to picture Adams, but wasn't definite who was primitively down the name.

"I tin categorically accidental that I did not springiness Mr Adams the sanction 'brown s--t'. I don't cognize who gave him the name."

Boucher, who is 2 years into a 4 twelvemonth woody arsenic nationalist coach, said he'd invited the accidental to talk to Adams privately.

"I americium profoundly acrophobic and, indeed, wounded by immoderate of the grounds and privation to code these concerns with the individuals acrophobic successful person," helium wrote.

Former South African spinner Paul Adams. (Getty)

"I person listened to the wounded immoderate of my erstwhile teammates felt, the feeling of exclusion and immoderate wholly unacceptable and inappropriate examples of alleged racism that they endured.

"I apologise unreservedly for immoderate violative conduct, existent oregon perceived, that has been attributed to me."

Adams, on with chap players specified arsenic Loots Bosman and Ashwell Prince, testified that they were made to consciousness unwelcome.

Boucher agreed that whitethorn person been the case, noting that achromatic players were not afloat prepared for the changes brought astir successful the post-Apartheid era.

Mark Boucher and Paul Adams observe a wicket successful a Test against England. (Getty)

"We, the team, coaching staff, selectors and CSA, during the play successful question, should person been much delicate and created an situation wherever each members of the squad could rise and speech astir these issues without allowing them to fester, arsenic they intelligibly have."

Adams testified past period that astatine the clip helium didn't see the word "brown s--t" to beryllium racist. He said it was usually utilized astatine fines meetings instantly aft Test lucifer wins.

"When you are playing for your country, erstwhile you person had that victory, you don't marque consciousness of it, you brushwood it off," helium explained.

"It is thing that should not beryllium brushed nether the carpet. We should aerial it, if we privation our teams wrong Cricket SA to person the close ethics, the close mentality, the close respect for 1 another, we should aerial these things."

Cricket South Africa introduced a people successful 2015 of having six players of the colour successful the team, of which astatine slightest 2 indispensable beryllium achromatic African.

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