Elgar 'backstabbed' by CSA

Former Test captain Dean Elgar has described a toxic environment of politics and poor administration in South African cricket and said he felt "stabbed in the back" when he was unceremoniously sacked from his leadership role last year.

The 36-year-old now plays for English county side Essex after retiring from international cricket.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Rapport newspaper, Elgar said he had held back from criticising his former employers before his contract with the CSA expired at the end of April.

He said he had been exposed to an unhealthy culture after being appointed captain in March 2021:

“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 led the Proteas in 18 of his 86 Tests. They climbed up the Test rankings with series wins over the West Indies, India and Bangladesh before losing away series in England and Australia in his final two series in charge.

Conrad was appointed head coach of the Test side in January 2023 and the appointment of Bavuma was one of his first moves.

According to Elgar, the only reason Conrad gave for the change was that he felt "better aligned" with Bavuma.

Elgar said he had a good relationship with his former teammates, including Bavuma, and played under the new captain in the series against West Indies and India, captaining the side in the final Test against the latter team after Bavuma was injured.

But after meeting with Nkwe and Conrad, he said he realised he had to make a decision about his future.

He said he enjoyed the healthy cricketing environment at Essex, where he has a three-year contract.