Smith next in CSA’s firing line

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Cricket South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith

Cricket South Africa is set to take disciplinary action against its director of cricket and former Proteas captain Graeme Smith next week.

Smith’s charges relate to matters of his appointment at CSA and procedural flaws in his appointment of Mark Boucher as Proteas head coach.

Smith opted to appoint former teammate Boucher instead of interim team director Enoch Nkwe in December 2019, without advertising the post or interviewing candidates.

However, Sport24 says the CSA board had given him the power to hire and fire those who reported indirectly to him as long as he consulted with then acting CEO Jacques Faul. (The board also agreed to Smith’s 35% salary increase demand, from R4 million to R5.4m.)

Boucher was given a four-year contract, which expires at the end of the 2023 World Cup, with Nkwe becoming his assistant.

Nkwe resigned in August last year, claiming he had been “undermined” and reduced to being a “cones boy” in a toxic working environment.

CSA charged Boucher with “gross misconduct” earlier this week following allegations of racism made against him by former teammate Paul Adams.

Nkwe’s resignation will also be addressed during Boucher’s hearing.

ALSO READ: I look forward to defending allegations – Boucher

“A process in relation to Graeme Smith is being finalised and we’ll probably make an announcement towards that during the course of next week,” CSA board chairman Lawson Naidoo told Sport24.

Smith’s lawyer, David Becker, said: “CSA is still finalising the details of the enquiry process for Graeme and I am in constructive communication with them about that.”

ALSO READ: ‘Graeme Smith did not appoint himself’

Photo: Brenton Geach/AFP via Getty Images