Mark Boucher arrives back in SA tomorrow from Ireland with accusations of racist behaviour hanging over him after the Proteas coach got embroiled in a racial storm at Cricket SA's transformation hearings this week.
The beleaguered Proteas coach previously faced strong calls for dismissal from the public and media, over poor results and his lack of a required qualification, and those voices grew louder this week after his former teammate Paul Adams testified under oath at the hearings to investigate racial discrimination within cricket that Boucher and other white former teammates called him a "brown shit".
The revelations by Adams, and other witnesses who already testified, shook the foundation of SA cricket with allegations of racial discrimination that Boucher finds himself entangled in.
Adams, a stalwart of 45 Test matches and 24 ODIs for the national team, said former teammates, including Boucher, used to belt out a song by 1970s vocal group Boney M, "Brown Girl In The Ring", and attached racist connotations to the tune to mock him.
"I was called 'Brown shit'. It often used to be a song after we won a game and it would be sung in fines meetings. 'Brown shit in the ring tra-la-la-la'," Adams said in an emotionally charged testimony at the hearings.
"They wouldn't call another player 'white shit'. They would always use 'brown shit'."
Former top-order batsman Lungile "Loots" Bosman was one of the former players who testified at the transformation hearings this week. Bosman relived an encounter he had with Boucher during a net practice session at the World Cup in the West Indies.
Mark Boucher was not happy that I was in the team to play the next day
— Loots Bosman, Proteas batsman
Bosman said he perceived Boucher's language and conduct as chauvinistic. Bosman said the incident happened after he was named in the team to play against the hosts the next day.
"Then during our practice session in the nets while I was batting [coach] Mickey, [captain] Graeme Smith and Boucher were standing next to the nets.
"But now I could see them, I am batting there, but now they are pointing at me and I could see that these guys are talking about me, I can't focus here."
Bosman, who played 14 ODIs and 14 T20s for the Proteas between 2006 and 2010, said Boucher then came into the nets.
"Then he [Boucher] told me: 'Listen, this is how you play offspin. Then I told him I know how to play offspin. How can I be here if I can't play the offspin? What are you trying to achieve?" said Bosman, adding he was so patronised he wanted to hit Boucher in the face with his bat.
Bosman said he could see on Boucher's face that "he was not happy that I was in the team to play the next day.
"The next day against the West Indies, I was told to pad up and that I was batting at No 3 and that Jacques Kallis will bat at four.
"When a wicket fell, I was told no you are not batting, Kallis will go. Okay, fine.
"Then a wicket fell again and someone else went out to bat.
"I think that [Shaun] Pollock was batting at seven and that I didn't even bat in that match."
Bosman told the inquiry that this treatment was linked to his encounter with Boucher the previous day.
Boucher told the Sunday Times' digital platform TimesLIVE on Friday morning from Ireland that he will address the allegations that were made at the hearings when he is back in the country.
The Sunday Times reached out to the Proteas again on Friday afternoon for a response to the allegations and whether Boucher believes he is still the right man for the job.
"Mark's statement stands firm. He is not in a position to respond further at this stage," a team management spokesperson said from Ireland.
Boucher returns tomorrow as a dead man walking as the racism storm only served to fuel calls for his dismissal. A cloud also hangs over Smith as questions of alleged irregularity over his contract as director of coaching continue to be asked.
Despite a Test and T20 series win against the West Indies, which was followed by a drawn ODI and another T20 series triumph against the Irish, Boucher faced strong calls for dismissal from the public and media over poor results and the voices grew louder this week after Adams's and Bosman's testimonies.
Other former players who testified this week included Ethy Mbhalati, Eddie Leie, Thami Tsolekile and Mthandeki Tshabalala and the theme of the testimonies is that black players do not get a fair chance compared to their white counterparts, right through the age groups to the Proteas team. Hearings chairman Dumisa Ntsebeza said he will extend the proceeding for another week.
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