Racial slurs ‘part of team culture’
Several players, including Paul Adams, referred to Mark Boucher as a “white c**t” in the Proteas change room two decades ago, reports sacricketmag.com. This is according to several sources who spoke to Rapport newspaper.
Boucher, now the Proteas head coach, has been charged with “gross misconduct” by Cricket South Africa (CSA) following allegations of racism made against him by former teammate Adams during last year’s Social Justice and Nation-building hearings.
“I was called ‘brown sh*t’ when I was playing,” Adams said. “It often used to be a song when we won a game and we were in fines’ meetings. They would sing, ‘brown sh*t in the ring, tra la la la laa’.”
The 45-year-old Boucher will appear before a disciplinary hearing from May 16 to 20.
Five former Proteas players and one former Proteas coach told Rapport that nicknames
with racial undertones were then part of the team culture.
One of the former players said “brown sh*t” and “white c**t” were used by other players too, while black and white players called Adams a “brown sh*t”.
“It was all joking and as far as I can remember, no one was upset at the time.”
Boucher has apologised for “singing offensive songs with my teammates or using offensive nicknames” but denies he came up with the nickname “brown sh * t” or invented the song. –