South Africa to put fitness clauses into player contracts, confirms Mark Boucher

South Africa head coach Mark Boucher on Wednesday confirmed that the Cricket South Africa (CSA) will be introducing fitness clauses into player contracts in the future.

He revealed that the decision has been taken in order to set up minimum standards for players' selection into the national side.

"We have put in some programs with regards to keeping fit and strong around your household. We are putting new fitness clauses in contracts so you need to be fit," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Boucher as saying.

Earlier this year, the Proteas had whitewashed Australia in the three-match ODI series at home.

Boucher had taken over in December last year and oversaw South Africa lose a Test and T20 series to England, draw a rain-affected ODI series, lose T20I series against Australia and finally win the ODI series against the side from Down Under.

"The exciting thing was in white-ball cricket, to see the guys grow a bit. We gave quite a lot of opportunities to youngsters and they started to gel as a team and not allow one particular guy to carry them through. Our performance against Australia was the light at the end of the tunnel but it's not that it's the finished product," Boucher said.

Two back-to-back T20 World Cups will be played in the next two years, so Boucher would be hoping for some consistency from the Proteas.

Last month, South Africa was slated to play three-match ODI series against India.

The first ODI was abandoned due to rain and after that, the series was called off as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.