Cricket South Africa (CSA) has withdrawn all the disciplinary charges against their head coach Mark Boucher.
A statement on the board’s website stated the charges against him were being withdrawn as “there was no reason” to sustain any of the disciplinary charges, including charges of racism, against the coach of their Men’s cricket team.
The charges in question were first instituted against Mark Boucher following recommendations from the Social Justice & Nation-Building (SJN) after it made adverse findings against the former Proteas wicketkeeper.
Further inquiries were carried out after the Ombudsman stated that he was not in a position to make “definite findings”.
Boucher was due to face a disciplinary hearing next week on the allegations of racism and bringing CSA into disrepute.
The charges were also related to issues around Enoch Nkwe’s resignation as the Proteas’ assistant coach as well as issues of racial discrimination following revelations made by former spinner Paul Adams at the SJN hearings.
While testifying, Adams said that his former teammate, Boucher, had led a song with a derogatory nickname for him.
But over the weekend Adams changed his mind and said that he would not be testifying against Boucher at the disciplinary hearing, saying “it is not my job or desire to find Mark Boucher guilty or not guilty”
On Tuesday, CSA said that Adams’ withdrawal, along with the fact that Boucher had apologized during the SJN process coupled with Nkwe’s decision to also not testify against Boucher just like Adam and the clearing of the former director of cricket, Graeme Smith, of allegations of racism had informed their decision to drop the charges against Boucher.
CSA, just like in Grame Smith’s case, will contribute to Boucher’s legal costs.
