After stating that he would stand down as South Africa’s head coach after the World T20 tournament that will take place in Australia next month, Mark Boucher has stated his ambition to explore other opportunities. In 2019, he was promoted to his current position, and since then, he has been instrumental in the team’s spectacular run of success in the international arena.
According to an announcement made by Cricket South Africa, Mark Boucher will complete his tenure as head coach of the Proteas by leading the team in the ICC World T20 2022. The board said that Boucher has left to pursue other opportunities that would assist him in building his career while satisfying personal aspirations. This may indicate that the former wicketkeeper will be moving to T20 leagues throughout the globe. In 2019, Graeme Smith, Boucher’s former skipper, appointed him as the new coach of the team. Since then, Boucher has assisted the team in developing a strong core of players across all formats, allowing Temba Bavuma and Dean Elgar to lead the team and making the team capable of competing with the best in the world on any given day.
Under his leadership, South Africa won 11 of their 20 Test matches, including a stirring 2-1 comeback series triumph against India earlier this year on home soil. The Proteas are currently in the second position in the World Test Championship, making them strong candidates to participate in the showdown encounter that will take place at Lord’s Stadium the following year. In white-ball cricket, under Boucher’s leadership, the team won 12 one-day internationals (ODIs) out of 21 total matches, while they won 23 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) while losing 18 of those matches. After being eliminated in the early stages of the World T20 competition in 2021, they will give it another go in Australia in October, where they will compete in a group with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and two qualifying teams.
Mark Boucher will leave his position as the Head Coach of the South Africa Cricket Team
“It makes us very sad that Mark wants to leave, but we understand and respect his decision. He is a legend for the Proteas and has done a lot for the game in our country, both on and off the field, in the last three years, which we really appreciate. He has set South Africa up for success in all three formats of cricket, and I’m sure we’ll see the results at the T20 World Cup next month. He already has a stable and growingly confident team, and we’re looking forward to watching them in their important series in India before they go to Australia,” CSA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe was quoted saying by India Today
