CSA drop racism charges against Mark Boucher after Paul Adams disagrees to testify

The accusations against former South Africa cricketer and current head coach Mark Boucher, in his disciplinary hearing, have been withdrawn by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and he has stated that he intends to stay as the men’s team’s head coach. The shocking announcement came only days after Paul Adams said he would not participate in the case, which was set to begin on Monday and might have resulted in Boucher’s charges being dropped by CSA

The CSA and Boucher have addressed the next steps and agreed to take forward an open communication and interaction to promote South African cricket’s best interests and fulfil the CSA’s strategic objectives of access, inclusivity, and excellence. Boucher was facing three allegations related to his handling of race-related issues in the past and present during his tenure as a national player and coach.

As per a report by Cricbuzz, the official statement read: “CSA has concluded that there is no basis to sustain any of the disciplinary charges, including charges of racism, [against Boucher]. The board of CSA has therefore formally and unreservedly withdrawn all of the charges.”

“The allegations of racism which were leveled against me were unjustified and have caused me considerable hurt and anguish. The last few months have been extremely difficult to endure for me and my family. I am glad that the process has finally come to an end and that CSA has accepted that the charges against me are unsustainable. I look forward to continuing to focus on my job and to take the Proteas men’s team to even greater heights,” Boucher was quoted in his statement.

Boucher formally apologized to Adams after being cleared of the charges

Adams stated Boucher was among the players who dubbed him “brown shit” in a dressing room song during his playing days, in answer to a question during the Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) hearings in July. Because Boucher is a full-time CSA staffer, his name was mentioned in relation to the disciplinary procedures.

“Mr. Adams recently announced that he had withdrawn from testifying against Mr. Boucher during the disciplinary hearing. In doing so, Mr. Adams stated that his concerns articulated during the SJN process were about the overall ‘culture’ in the Proteas team during the early 2000s, rather than being about any particular player. During the SJN process, Mr. Boucher formally apologised to Mr. Adams. After the SJN process, Mr. Adams indicated to CSA’s lawyers that he accepts this apology,” CSA’s statement further said.