XtraTime Web Desk: Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith on Thursday hit back at the allegations of racial discriminations labeled against him. Smith, who is currently the Director of Cricket in Cricket South Africa, has come under fire in recent weeks for appointing Mark Boucher as the coach of the national team. He has also been accused of allowing black players to feel isolated during his time as captain. Smith, who captained South Africa in a world record 108 Test matches from 2003, said he realised early in his captaincy that it would not be possible to please everyone in his team.
Former wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was particularly critical of Smith during a radio interview on Tuesday, blaming Smith for keeping him out of the Test team after Boucher suffered a career-ending injury on a 2012 tour of England.
Tsolekile has been banned for 12 years for his role in a match-fixing scandal in a domestic competition. He was the reserve wicketkeeper at that time. AB de Villiers was given the role of a wicket-keeper batsman. He said the decision to pick De Villiers ahead of Tsolekile in 2012 was made by “a whole panel of selectors” and that then-coach Gary Kirsten had told Tsolekile he was reserve to De Villiers following Boucher’s injury.
In a statement uploaded by Smith on his twitter handle, he said, “I look at many respected captains around the world and there are plenty of players who felt they were not given a fair chance.”
In recent weeks, a group of former black players and coaches have criticized events in South African cricket, including the appointment of Boucher as national coach ahead of black coaches who have stronger formal coaching credentials.
Boucher has only a level two coaching certificate which is given to former players without having to attend courses. Smith said allegations and insinuations against him were “extremely hurtful and I deny them in the strongest possible sense.”