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The Proteas manager spoke ahead of the limited overs series against England, which begins with the first Twenty20 international in Cape Town on 27 November.
The head coach of the South African cricket team, Mark Boucher. Image: AFP
CAPE TOWN – Proteas coach Mark Boucher revealed Thursday that he had been a victim of coronavirus without knowing he had contracted the disease.
Boucher spoke ahead of the limited overs series against England, which begins with the first Twenty20 international match in Cape Town on November 27.
An unidentified player tested positive for COVID-19 when the South Africans met on Wednesday.
He and two others, with whom the infected player had close contact, have been separated from the rest of the squad and will remain in isolation while being monitored by the team’s medical staff.
According to a statement from Cricket South Africa, all three were asymptomatic.
Boucher said he sympathized with the affected players.
“Sitting alone in a room for six or seven days is very difficult,” said Boucher, adding that he had been fortunate to have had a mild dose of the disease.
“I didn’t even know I had it,” he said. “I felt a bit depressed for a day or two. I had been throwing some players in the nets and felt some aches and pains.”
“COVID is bigger than sport,” Boucher said.
He said that in line with a call from President Cyril Ramaphosa for a period of mourning, he expected the flags to be at half mast during the first two games honoring victims of the coronavirus and gender-based violence and it was possible that the players would . wear black bracelets.
‘DIFFICULT PROBLEMS’
But he said the players were unlikely to “kneel” as they did before a three-team domestic game in July.
“It is not something that we have to continue demonstrating, it is something that we have to live.”
Boucher said he welcomed the series against England after a painful winter during which COVID, boardroom battles and the controversy over racism dominated the headlines.
“We have to put that behind us. We are in a position to deliver good news to South African cricket,” he said.
“We had some tough issues to deal with,” he said of a ‘culture camp’ in August, held at a time when the rifts in race relations in South African cricket were exposed.
Boucher said he was happy with the outcome of the camp.
“We have started over and restructured our values,” he said. “It’s all about performance. We want to be nice and aggressive, but we have to be smart.”
Boucher said he was not worried about being in a “bio-bubble” until the series ends on December 9.
“We have been on tours where there have been security issues that have meant that we have had to stay in our hotels.
“We are in a fantastic hotel with a lot of open space and we have spoken with other teams that have been in bubbles.”
Playing international matches without spectators would be an unusual experience, “but passion will not be lacking and we know that people will be watching us.”
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