Racism row: South Africa assistant coach Enoch Nkwe resigns; concerned over team culture

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Johannesburg, August 25: Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced that Enoch Nkwe has left his position as the Assistant Coach of the Proteas men's team, a position he held since December 2019.

Enoch was also briefly the Team Director. Enoch has been involved in SA cricket for close to two decades both as a player and coach, playing for Gauteng and Highveld Lions and later joining the Gauteng Lions as Head Coach.

"While every effort was made to retain his services, Enoch has decided to focus on personal growth and professional development. This affords him the opportunity to return to the system in the future with a better sense of himself and being certain of the direction of his career.

"He has emphasised his unwavering commitment to SA cricket and especially the men's team as they embark on a key tour to Sri Lanka in preparation for the T20 World Cup in October," a statement by CSA read.

The CSA also engaged with Enoch to explore whether there was a way to retain his services but that was unsuccessful. During those discussions, Enoch also raised concerns about the functioning and culture of the team environment.

"The Board will be taking the necessary steps to investigate and address the issues raised by Enoch. We will not be commenting further on this until the process has been completed," the statement added.

CSA has also mandated the Acting CEO, Pholetsi Moseki to oversee a process to urgently find a replacement for Enoch ahead of the T20 World Cup.

CSA Board Chair, Lawson Naidoo said, "It is deeply disappointing to lose someone of Enoch's calibre at this time, but we fully understand and respect his decision. We are comforted by the fact that he remains committed to SA cricket, and hope that he will be back serving the game that we all love. He has been and continues to be an inspiration to young cricketers and coaches."