'Our relationship has grown over the last year' - Temba Bavuma on his bonding with coach Mark Boucher

South Africa white-ball captain Temba Bavuma revealed that tackling the difficulties and challenges at the camp, during his tenure, strengthened his bond with coach Mark Boucher. Bavuma said that the off-field conversations between the whole team, as a unit, helped him grow his relationship with the head coach.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) recently withdrew all the charges of misconduct including that of racism against Boucher after Paul Adams denied to justify against him in court. The board mentioned that there was no basis to sustain any of the levied charges due to lack of evidence, and as a result, Boucher was asked to continue his term with the national side till the end of his contract.

“The off-field drama surrounding the team and the coach particularly, that was hard. It was hard for the coach, it was hard for the players… what helped in those situations was the conversations we had. We had situations where we sat in a room (together) and guys could speak,” Bavuma was quoted by The South African.

“If there were any differences if guys felt any type of way they had the opportunity to voice them. That was between players, between management, those kinds of conversations helped us to navigate I guess the off-field drama that was surrounding the team,” he added.

The guys were there to support the coach in whatever way he needed: Bavuma

Bavuma, who was handed the limited-overs captaincy after Quinton de Kock stepped down, highlighted how the squad came together as a unit and backed Boucher during a tough period. He remarked that as captain, he attempted to keep the squad together and concentrated on improving the game, while the players were always supportive of Boucher.

“I think our relationship has grown over the last year. My role, with the drama that was happening, was still to keep the team together and focus on cricket. The guys were there to support the coach in whatever he needed. That is another aspect that has grown within the team, the relationship between the coach and myself,” he further stated.

Boucher’s contract with the Proteas team lasts till the 2023 World Cup. The team’s upcoming stint is against the Indian side as they arrive in India for a five-match T20I series in June.