South African cricket coach Mark Boucher has apologised for his involvement in “totally inappropriate, unacceptable and in 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 at the centre of a firestorm in recent weeks.
That followed allegations from his former teammate, spin bowler Paul Adams, at a Cricket South Africa (CSA) Social Justice and Nation Building hearing last month, where Boucher was named as one of a number of white players who called Adams “brown s–t”.
In a 14-page submission to the CSA committee, Boucher indicated he will have more to say once he returns from the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
“I will in due course and once the hearings have been concluded, submit a complimentary affidavit in which I will deal with specific allegations that may be made during the course of the hearings,” he wrote.
The wicketkeeper agreed that the term “brown s–t” was used to describe Adams, but wasn’t sure who was originally behind the name.
“I can categorically say that I did not give Mr Adams the name ‘brown s–t’. I don’t know who gave him the name.”
Boucher, who is two years into a four year deal as national coach, said he’d welcome the opportunity to speak to Adams privately.
“I am deeply concerned and, indeed, hurt by some of the testimony and wish to address these concerns with the individuals concerned in person,” he wrote.
“I have listened to the hurt some of my former teammates felt, the feeling of exclusion and some totally unacceptable and inappropriate examples of alleged racism that they endured.
“I apologise unreservedly for any offensive conduct, real or perceived, that has been attributed to me.”
Adams, along with fellow players such as Loots Bosman and Ashwell Prince, testified that they were made to feel unwelcome.
Boucher agreed that may have been the case, noting that white players were not fully prepared for the changes brought about in the post-Apartheid era.
“We, the team, coaching staff, selectors and CSA, during the period in question, should have been more sensitive and created an environment where all members of the team could raise and talk about these issues without allowing them to fester, as they clearly have.”
Adams testified last month that at the time he didn’t consider the term “brown s–t” to be racist. He said it was usually used at fines meetings immediately after Test match wins.
“When you are playing for your country, when you have had that victory, you don’t make sense of it, you brush it off,” he explained.
“It is something that should not be brushed under the carpet. We should air it, if we want our teams within Cricket SA to have the right ethics, the right mentality, the right respect for one another, we should air these things.”
Cricket South Africa introduced a target in 2015 of having six players of the colour in the team, of which at least two must be black African.
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