Enoch Nkwe says he hopes to ‘make a difference’ in his new position as CSA director of cricket.

The former Proteas assistant coach, who worked under head coach Mark Boucher before resigning in August last year, recently filled the vacancy left by Graeme Smith.

Smith did not reapply for the position when his contract expired in March, having been charged by CSA with gross misconduct. He was cleared of all allegations in April.

At a press conference on Friday, Nkwe said he was thrilled to get the job.

“This is a massive honour and privilege and a great opportunity to sit in a position where I can actually make a difference. The people that know me know that I am very passionate about South African cricket.

“I have been wanting to be in this sort of position so that I can have a massive influence, but it’s not only me but the team I’m going to be working with.

“I’d like to thank CSA for backing me, and I’m so grateful and looking forward to taking South African cricket to new heights.”

After resigning as Proteas assistant coach, Nkwe claimed he had been “undermined” and reduced to being a “cones boy” in a “toxic working environment”.

However, Nkwe said he had met with Boucher on Thursday and insisted there was no bad blood between the two.

“I hadn’t seen Mark since last August and, at first, it was a bit strange.

“We had a great meeting. I know a whole lot of people will speak about how there were deeper-level issues, but Mark and I actually have a good relationship, and there is nothing personal.

“That was very evident yesterday, and we met for more than an hour and ended up laughing.

“He is also excited to be working with me, and we spoke to such lengths about me being in a position now where we can actually get the best out of each other and lead South Africa forward.

“I will give him as much support as possible to be successful in his space as a coach. The meeting was awesome, and I’m glad we could meet in person before the team left [for England].”

Meanwhile, CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki said Nkwe was “head and shoulders” above the other candidates interviewed for the director of cricket job.

“The panel was quite impressed with all the candidates who came through for the interview, but Enoch was head and shoulders better than the other guys.

“What made us happy was that all the guys who applied, and were interviewed, are within the system. It’s something that is quite encouraging that clearly, the system is in safe hands when you’ve got people like that, even at an affiliate level, leading and directing cricket.

“I know Enoch will continue working with those people because they are within the system in different spaces.

“Cricket is in good hands.”

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