"I am solely focused on my duties as head coach" - Mark Boucher responds to allegations of gross misconduct

South Africa head coach Mark Boucher has chosen to ignore racial allegations against him, saying he wants to focus on the national side. The former keeper-batter promised to defend himself against accusations of misconduct in a hearing set to occur soon.

The charges leveled against Boucher relate to Paul Adams' testimony about the discrimination faced during his playing days. The former left-arm spinner accused the current head coach of labeling him a "brown s***" during post-match team songs.

Although Boucher vowed to fight the accusations, his concentration remains on the team's responsibilities. The 45-year old stated, as quoted by News24:

"I look forward to dealing with and defending these allegations which have been made and will do so at the hearing in due course. For now I am solely focused on my duties as head coach of the Proteas"

Adams made all the revelations during the Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) hearings towards the end of 2021. However, the 45-year old issued a 14-page affidavit apologizing for his actions. According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), he will meet Advocate Terry Motau on the 26th of January to decide the timetable of the proceedings.

---

Mark Boucher to remain South Africa's coach for the final two ODIs against India:

Meanwhile, the CSA hasn't suspended the 147-Test veteran yet and will continue in his role as the Proteas' head coach for the final two ODIs in Paarl and Cape Town. The hosts will aim to seal the three-match series on Friday after securing a 31-run win in their first game.

Although South Africa found themselves in trouble after losing three wickets relatively cheaply, they posted a healthy 296 in 50 overs. Skipper Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen shared a 204-run stand to lift their side to a winning total.

The pair scored a century each, with van der Dussen top-scoring with an unbeaten 129 off 96 balls. He also earned the man of the match award.

In reply, India were on track, mainly when Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were at the crease. The duo added 92; however, the middle-order wilted under pressure and could not carry on. Towards the end, Shardul Thakur scored a fifty and brought a half-century stand with Jasprit Bumrah. Nevertheless, the visitors fell 31 runs short.