Cape Town — Proteas’ Men’s coach Mark Boucher is “quite excited” to work with new Cricket SA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe.
The roles have been reversed dramatically in South African cricket after Nkwe replaced Graeme Smith as the new Director of Cricket at the beginning of the month. Nkwe was previously part of Boucher’s support staff, fulfilling the role of assistant coach, before he dramatically resigned last year after raising concerns about the “functioning of the team culture”.
Boucher, though, has had a chat with his new boss Nkwe ahead of the team’s departure to England last week where they smoothed over their differences.
“I'm quite excited. Besides reports of the past, myself and Enoch have always had a very good relationship, and we had a nice chat before we left, so I'm quite excited to work with him,” Boucher told reporters from England on Monday.
“I think he's got some fantastic ideas. He's been in the system for quite some time now as well, so he knows exactly what he's required. So yeah, I'm looking forward to working with him.”
Boucher also stressed that the national team set-up that Nkwe resigned from is vastly different to the culture within the Proteas right now.
“We had a conversation before we left to go to England and the environment has changed and he's (Nkwe) happy with that situation,” the former Proteas wicket-keeper said.
The pair’s relationship endured a stressful period when Cricket SA were due to call Nkwe to testify against Boucher after the Proteas coach faced disciplinary charges related to alleged racism.
Nkwe, however, refused to testify claiming “It’s not me against Boucher” which severely affected CSA’s case with it eventually all the charges being dropped before it went to trial.
IOL Sport