Cape Town - Titans coach Mark Boucher says he wasn't approached by Cricket South Africa (CSA) about being interested in the Proteas team director position.
Many pundits called for Boucher to get the Proteas job, but the position instead went to Highveld Lions coach Enoch Nkwe - on an interim basis - for South Africa's upcoming tour to India.
Boucher told Netwerk24 that it doesn't bother him that he wasn’t approached by CSA.
"What does bother me is that there were reports that I was not willing to grow as a coach. It's really unfair."
A recent column on SACricketmag focused on Boucher's unsuitability and illegibility for the Proteas job as he doesn't possess a Level 3 or 4 coaching certificate. The piece said Boucher has a Level 2 coaching certificate.
"Questions have been asked about why I didn't do courses at that level. But I'm learning about coaching from people like Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis and also other influential business people. I really don't believe your suitability as a coach is determined by doing a CSA course."
Regarding the claim that he did not want to grow as a coach, Boucher told TimesLIVE: "It's the biggest load of nonsense.
"With the Level 3 coaching‚ people need to get their facts straight. You don't have to have a Level 3 in order to be a coach and that hasn't been made a rule by Cricket South Africa. When I was asked to do a Level 3‚ they also asked me to lecture the coaches who were doing the Level 3.
"I said to them: 'If that's the case‚ I don't mind doing a Level 3 but if you want me to lecture‚ then that's in my personal capacity‚ I'm giving off information that I've acquired over the years and I feel there's a fee attached to that. They said there's no fee and when I went to my employers‚ they said I don't have to."
Boucher added that there are many top-level coaches without a Level 3 coaching certificate.
The former Proteas wicketkeeper has been head coach of the Titans since August 2016.
He has since led the Titans to five domestic titles - two One Day Cups, two T20 Challenge titles and one four-day Sunfoil Series trophy.