“I’m extremely hurt at the moment,” said Proteas Head Coach, Mark Boucher, after South Africa lost the four-match T20 series against Pakistan. 

“(I take) a massive amount of responsibility. I don’t shy away from it,” Boucher said, with the Proteas having been handed their eighth series loss under him. However, “there’s no panic for me yet. We have been given trying circumstances over the last period of time,” said Boucher. 

Ahead of the T20 World Cup in October, Boucher hopes to have “all players fit and available to play.” Given the cricket calendar this year, he had “earmarked the West Indies for our full squad to be together.” 

Reflecting on the series loss to Pakistan, Boucher said everyone in the Proteas setup was frustrated. In saying that, Boucher remained firm, “We’re on the right path.” He continued, “We’ve stuck to our guns. The players came up with ideas of how they wanted to play.” 

Some of the new players who were given opportunities in this series “have come through with flying colors.” However, many of the South African players coming through to international cricket were “rough around the edges” and the management needs to work with them to “polish their games.”

With the South African cricket season having come to an end, Boucher believes the off-season is an opportunity for players to elevate their skillsets and “build players fitness levels” to have “the intensity and energy required to compete with the rest of the world.” 

Boucher hopes these efforts pay off and South Africa “get used to winning again.”