Johannesburg – How can the coaching term of Mark Boucher be evaluated?
By the stats, it was comparable to an old western; neither particularly good nor bad, but occasionally nasty. As a result of the racist allegations Boucher faced off the field, Cricket South Africa demanded his dismissal. The organization reversed its position on a disciplinary hearing, and Boucher was allowed to continue in his role as coach until he decided not to.
His reign came to an end at the T20 World Cup in Adelaide, under all too familiar conditions. South Africa missed out on a chance to advance to the semifinals after losing to the Netherlands. Boucher stated accurately that the squad had only themselves to blame.
But to return to the stats, Boucher managed 98 matches across the three forms after assuming the managerial reins in December 2019 under difficult and controversial circumstances. In limited-overs contests, the team won 50 games, lost 42 games, and had six “no results.”
Eleven victories, twelve defeats, and four draws occurred in various series throughout that time.
In both T20 World Cups, South Africa was eliminated prior to the semifinals.
It is a record that is, at best, average. However, there was much more to consider during Boucher’s 34-month tenure as coach.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused longer squads, periods of seclusion for players, and the withdrawal of certain players who got the virus. Prior to that, there was the Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock captaincy crisis.
Then, in August of last year, assistant coach Enoch Nkwe, who had been Boucher’s temporary predecessor in a post with a different definition than that of a head coach, resigned. The IPL, which Boucher now joins as coach of the Mumbai Indians, deprived South Africa of its best players for a number of crucial matches. This is a challenge that Boucher’s successors will also face.
Boucher was accused of trying to deal with the white players while leaving the black players to the team manager, Khomotso Masubelele. The method in which the Black Lives Matter incident was handled was chaotic. It was unenlightening.
While simultaneously strategizing for cricket matches, the players were striving to answer challenging questions about race, culture, and empathy.
The administration of CSA was desperately seeking stability after years of upheaval that had engendered mistrust among players, sponsors, and the general public. Despite huge global hurdles in a sport dominated by three nations, the organization is still attempting to regain the public’s trust while simultaneously securing a stronger financial footing.
In conclusion, evaluating Boucher’s tenure based just on wins and losses is superficial.
The Test series victory over India and the T20 series victories in the West Indies and Sri Lanka last year, as well as the victory in England earlier this year, demonstrated a team capable of attaining success. However, at two T20 World Cups, the Proteas failed to advance out of the group stage, which certainly in the event in Australia indicates that Boucher was incapable of resolving the team’s historic mental weaknesses. He is not unique under this category.
The Proteas will likely need to compete in a qualification competition in order to qualify for next year’s 50-over World Cup after losing to Ireland and Bangladesh in one-day internationals.
The Test team’s batting is a key weakness, which cost them a series in England; but, is this Boucher’s fault or the result of a system that limits local players to seven first-class matches per season?
The Test captain Dean Elgar, a close friend of Boucher, praised the hard effort that Boucher and the coaching staff put in for the players, and perhaps it was the players’ responsibility to defend them more in public.
The easiest way to justify the work of the coaches is, of course, to achieve results on the field, and in that regard, the outcome was average.
Boucher’s record as coach of the Proteas:
Tests: Participated in 20, Won 11, Lost 9
ODIs Played: 28, Won: 13, Lost: 11, No Outcome: 4
T20I – 50 Matches, 26 Wins, 22 Losses, 2 No Outcomes.