Former Test captain Dean Elgar described a toxic environment of politics and poor administration in South African cricket and stated he felt he had been “stabbed in the back” when he was summarily axed from the management position final yr.
Elgar, 36, is now taking part in for English county Essex after retiring from worldwide cricket.
Contract expired
He stated in a wide-ranging interview with the Rapport newspaper that he had held again from criticising his former employers earlier than his contract with Cricket South Africa (CSA) expired at the finish of April.
He stated he was uncovered to an unhealthy tradition after he was appointed captain in March 2021.
“I turned a part-time cricketer and full-time politician, one thing that I by no means wish to undergo once more.
“I am a sportsman, not a politician or a cricket administrator, but I was thrown into a cauldron in which I had to be all three. If I had known that before, I would never have accepted the captaincy.”
He stated the resignation of former captain Graeme Smith as director of cricket in March 2022 had put a heavy burden on him, coach Mark Boucher and the workforce administration.
Dean Elgar stated it was tough to steadiness the pursuits of the workforce with these of CSA’s administration.
“I tried to make the best of a bad job, to control the things I could control. But my own form took a dive.”
He stated that with hindsight he wished he had been extra egocentric and centered extra on his personal sport.
No recognition
It was a shock however when he was summoned to a gathering with director of cricket Enoch Nkwe and new coach Shukri Conrad in February final yr and instructed that he had been changed as captain by Temba Bavuma.
“It felt as though they did not recognise all my hard work over the previous year-and-a-half, that they didn’t realise how much we had improved as a team,” stated Elgar.
“From being sixth or seventh in the world we became a team with the potential to play in the World Test championship final.”
Dean Elgar led South Africa in 18 of his 86 Tests. They climbed the Test rankings with sequence wins towards West Indies, India and Bangladesh earlier than dropping away sequence in England and Australia in his final two sequence in cost.
Conrad was appointed as head coach of the Test workforce in January 2023 and appointing Bavuma was certainly one of his first strikes.
According to Elgar, the solely cause Conrad gave for the change was that he felt “better aligned” with Bavuma.
‘Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short’
Elgar stated he had good relationships along with his former team-mates, together with Bavuma, and performed below the new captain in sequence towards West Indies and India, captaining the aspect in his closing Test towards the latter workforce after Bavuma was injured.
But he stated he realised after the assembly with Nkwe and Conrad that he needed to decide about his future.
“Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short,” stated Dean Elgar.
He stated he was having fun with the wholesome cricket setting at Essex, the place he has a three-year contract.
“I think I don’t fit into the South African situation as it is now and probably into the future,” he stated.
Cricket South Africa has been approached for remark.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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