Proteas coach Mark Boucher wants Jacques Kallis back as batting consultant for the national team.
Speaking to the media in his departure press conference ahead of their two-Test and three T20I series in Pakistan, which starts with the first Test on January 26, Boucher says the fact that Kallis is now helping England’s batsman against Sri Lanka is a bitter pill to swallow.
Kallis was the Proteas’ batting consultant last season, but didn’t have his contract renewed after then-interim CEO Kugandrie Govender, who is now suspended, announced that they will only employ black consultants in an effort to speed up transformation at national level.
But it looks like those plans have now been placed on ice and that Boucher is free to rope in Kallis again.
Of his long-time Proteas teammate, Boucher says: “It is a bitter pill to swallow.
“Unfortunately, my hands are tied behind my back sometimes.
“You get messages passed down to say this guy can’t be selected to fulfill a role that you maybe want him involved in.
“You guys [the media] have been saying that Jacques is my mate and it’s like a buddy selection.
“Yes, he is a mate of mine, but Jacques is also a very good cricketer that can add a lot of knowledge as well.
“Why wouldn’t we want him in our setup? For that reason it is a bitter pill to swallow.
“But now that the rules – it has been well-documented in the press – have been changed a bit, he is certainly someone that we’d like to get back into a consultancy role.”
Boucher adds: “I haven’t had any major conversations with Jacques because he is in Sri Lanka now, but if we can get him involved against Australia I think we must.”