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Cape Town - Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada heaped praise on assistant coach Enoch Nkwe and was delighted to see him remain in the Proteas camp.
Interim Director of Cricket Graeme Smith unveiled Mark Boucher as the new head coach of the Proteas last week, as he replaced Nkwe who was the Proteas' Team Director during the recent 3-0 Test series loss in India.
Nkwe was South Africa's first black national coach, but has been reassigned as Boucher's assistant.
Rabada, who is currently preparing for the first Test against England, confessed that he was glad to hear that Nkwe decided to stay despite his demotion.
"Enoch is someone I worked with since I was in age group level with the others guys like Quinny (de Kock) and Temba (Bavuma), so the guys that worked with him know his quality," said Rabada in Pretoria on Thursday.
Rabada admitted that Nkwe is a valuable person to have in the Proteas changing room along with some of the new faces which include Boucher and batting coach Jacques Kallis.
"He (Nkwe) is no doubt a valuable person to have in the change room. He would've had to make a decision on whether he was going to walk away or stay and he stayed," said Rabada.
"I'm really glad that he did because I got a relationship with him and so do the other players, especially the younger guys in the ODI and T20 team. Guys like Rassie (van der Dussen) and Dwaine (Pretorius) know him well and know the value that he brings in and I certainly know that too.
"He's made a decision to invest in the team and I'm very glad that he done so. Hopefully we can reap our rewards," he ended.
The Proteas take on England in the first Test at Centurion on Boxing Day with the first ball due to be delivered at 10:00.
Proteas Test squad:
Faf du Plessis (Titans, captain), Temba Bavuma (Lions), Quinton de Kock (Titans), Dean Elgar (Titans), Beuran Hendricks (Lions), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Pieter Malan (Cape Cobras), Aiden Markram (Titans), Zubayr Hamza (Cape Cobras), Anrich Nortje (Warriors), Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras), Andile Phehlukwayo (Dolphins), Vernon Philander (Cape Cobras), Dwaine Pretorius (Lions), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Rudi Second (Warriors), Rassie van der Dussen (Lions)
- Compiled by Lynn Butler
