JOHANNESBURG – Mark Boucher believes the new structure set up around the Proteas men’s team could work as long as the right people were employed in the positions.
Boucher, who played 147 Tests and 295 ODIs for the Proteas, said that if the person who will fill the newly-formulated Team Director role is properly empowered in the manner of a club football manager, then the new structure would work.
“You look at Alex Ferguson; he did the contracts, selected his team, everyone who worked underneath him and it does work. If they want that football style and move it into cricket, then why not have the same structure. What’s the need for a convenor of selectors, or a selection panel? Would that not just confuse everything,” Boucher, who’s heading into his fourth season as Titans head coach, remarked.
Asked if at some point in the future he’d like to coach the Proteas, Boucher said: “If I can get my leadership and my management group with me, then yes. There is a lot of talent in the country. With myself, and a management group, where I fall short on certain things I’ll get those guys to come up and do that. I think I have a lot to offer South African cricket.”
It is unlikely Boucher will apply for the permanent Team Director role now, stating that he wants to see out his contract with the Titans. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
It is unlikely Boucher will apply for the permanent Team Director role now, stating that he wants to see out his contract with the Titans, which ends at the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.
In addition Boucher has also this week been stung by critics, who’ve highlighted his lack of CSA coaching credentials as a reason he can’t coach the Proteas.
“It’s been a demotivating week,” said Boucher. “You don’t have to have a Level 3 licence to be a coach, it’s not been made a rule by CSA. When I was asked to do a Level 3, they actually asked me to lecture the coaches who were doing the Level 3.
I said to them if that is the case, I don’t mind doing the Level 3, but if you want me to lecture these guys then that’s in my personal capacity and I’m giving information that I’ve acquired over the years, and I feel it’s only fair that there be a fee attached to that and they said no.”
The Titans administration have not demanded that Boucher obtain any coaching certificates. “A lot of coaches around the world don’t have Level 3’s - Stephen Fleming is one of the most successful coaches, my mate Jacques (Kallis) has been very successful at the IPL. If there was a requirement that in order for me to coach the Proteas I needed to get a Level 3 or Level 4 coaching certificate then I would go and do that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Boucher, who admitted he had not been approached by CSA about taking over as interim Team Director for the tour to India next month, remains optimistic about the Proteas’ future, despite the retirements last week of Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla.