ZA Cricket

Dean Elgar has publicly criticized the politics and mismanagement within South African cricket, revealing he felt “stabbed in the back” when his captaincy was abruptly terminated last year. Now 36, Elgar has retired from international play and is currently with English county Essex.

In a detailed interview with Rapport newspaper, Elgar refrained from criticizing his former employers until his contract with CSA expired at the end of April. He recalled the toxic atmosphere he faced since becoming captain in March 2021. “I became a part-time cricketer and full-time politician, something that I never want to go through again. 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,” Elgar remarked.

The departure of Graeme Smith as director of cricket in March 2022 exacerbated the challenges, increasing the burden on him, coach Mark Boucher, and the team management. Elgar struggled to juggle the competing interests within the team and CSA’s management, noting, “I tried to make the best of a bad job, to control the things I could control. But my own form took a dive.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Elgar expressed regret for not prioritizing his performance: “I wish I had been more selfish and focused more on my own game.” His leadership tenure ended after a meeting with director of cricket Enoch Nkwe and new coach Shukri Conrad in February 2023, where he was informed that Temba Bavuma would replace him. Elgar felt undervalued, stating, “It felt as though they did not recognize all my hard work over the previous year-and-a-half, that they didn’t realize how much we had improved as a team. From being sixth or seventh in the world we became a team with the potential to play in the World Test Championship final.”

Elgar led the Proteas in 18 of his 86 Tests, achieving notable successes but also facing defeats in his final series against England and Australia. He continued to play under Bavuma’s captaincy, even leading the side in his final Test against India after Bavuma was injured.

Regarding his decision to retire, Elgar blamed Conrad for shortening his Test career: “Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short,” he claimed. Now in Essex, Elgar enjoys a healthier cricket environment, reflecting on his disconnect with the current South African system: “I think I don’t fit into the South African situation as it is now and probably into the future,” he concluded.

Adding to his challenges, the Proteas only played four Tests in 2023, and Elgar’s lack of an SA20 contract may have also influenced his sentiments regarding his career trajectory in South Africa.