With less than 24 hours to their scheduled departure to Sri Lanka, Cricket SA (CSA) declined to comment when asked if Proteas coach Mark Boucher will travel with the team.

SA sports fans have called for Boucher to step down or be fired after he apologised in an affidavit to the CSA’s Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) hearings for his involvement in alleged racial taunts aimed at black former teammates.

In an apology released on Monday, Boucher agreed that former teammate and spinner Paul Adams was called “brown s**t” in “playful banter” but denied coming up with the name.

“I can categorically say I did not give Mr Adams the name ‘brown s**t’. I don’t know who gave him the name. I apologise unreservedly for any offensive conduct, real or perceived, that has been attributed to me,” read part of his 14-page affidavit.

The Proteas leave the country to the subcontinent on Wednesday to play three ODIs and three T20s against Sri Lanka in Colombo from September 2 to 14. This is an important tour as it is part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup in October and November.

Asked by TimesLIVE whether Boucher would be travelling with the team, CSA spokesperson Thamie Mthembu tiptoed around the issue.

“CSA has taken note of all the testimonies of the witnesses who have given evidence at the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings,” Mthembu said in a written response.

“The SJN process provides an opportunity for all impacted individuals and/or organisations to respond to the allegations made against them, and this is an important part of the process. We are comfortable this approach protects the independence, autonomy and integrity of this project. 

“Consequently, CSA prefers not to comment publicly during the ongoing processes of these hearings on the evidence that has emerged. To this end and as a matter of record, CSA views all material information coming out of the SJN hearings as critical for our business, and this is why CSA is due to make its representations to the ombudsman to formally respond to pertinent issues raised by the testimonies.”