I wouldnt its an insult to Gilchrist as i have always said boucher is average at best his average is 24.73 in 18 tests against Australia proving me right youd think the greatest ever would be a bit better than that and his overall average is 29.22 with a average 4 hundreds which is quite ordinary especially when 2 were against West Indies, 1 against England and the best of all Zimbabwe, now shall we have a look at the other keepers going round, Kumar Sangakarra averages 41.91 vs Aussie and 56.37 against all nations, Brendon McCullum only averages 16 against Aussie but still has a higher average overall at 30.3 and even little Taibu from Zimbabwe has a higher batting average at 29.60 and i have even looked at Dhoni or Akmal. There are no excuses for Boucher either hes played in the 2nd best team in the world for a long time. If Boucher is the best ever than im a better batsmen than Lara and Tendulkar and a better leggie than the great one Shane Warne. Greg you are a fool boucher is average at best nothing more.

... remember the guy who came 2nd in Olympic Games ? Or the guy who was second to climb Everest ? Mark Bouchers name will stand for 100 years I tell ya !!! Haaa haaaa, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and we are gonna whip the Aussies, Indians and England this season... mark my words ! There is ONE team in 2008.. the Proteas !

Brad you are wasting your time. Like some fanatical lunatic, Greg ignores stats that don't support his fanciful stance. Boucher will continue to play tests for many years to come, SA don't have anyone better, and SA will play a disproportionate number of minor test nations. He will rack up the stat's by default. But he will never be recognised as anything other than a good keeper/batsman for his country.

Greg, in support of your arguement, I have included a webaddress showing some of Boucher's great work. Where he has decided to, selflessly, offer encouragement to a young zimbabwean batsman while he is keeping up at the stumps to the slow bowler Boje. Of course if an Australian did the same, you would call it sledging. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOznujyKso c

Anyone who knows cricket other than yourself would know that boucher is average he has been in the 2nd best team for a while and still has crap statistics to his name i wouldnt even call him a keeper/batsmen more a keeper who bats a bit. Healy wasnt the best batsmen but possibly the greatest glovemen to have ever played he made keeping to warne look easy.

South Africans have been split over the idea of sledging, but most agree Sledging in Context and within the limits of gamesmanship is perfectly acceptable. Australians are renowned for NOT having the 'breeding/intelligence/good sense' (take your pick) to exercise retraint. Religious, racial, personal family matters and out of context liberties designed to humiliate without ANY benefit to the game are UNIVERSALLY accepted as BEYOND reasonable (except in Australia) South Africans like Brian McMillian & Pat Symcox have been sledging masters. Unlike Merv Hughes(just a brainless out of control thug -NOW a Aussie selector !) Today NEL and company continue FAIR sledging ... a South African art, which is distinct from Aussie NO holds barred trailer trash Johnny Knoxville cricket... a slippery slop until open fist fights are part of cricket a la Aussie rules thuggery ! The lastest 'MONKEY' ??? complaint by the Aussies has lowered the bar of world opinion regarding the Aussies, who are like childish bullies unable to take the slightest bit of payback. I imagine NEL will be ripping into Aussies in December... with the Aussies new found delicate sensibilities... he will have to sledge about the weather !????

I respect your personal understanding of the pitfalls to be had by those who lack breeding, intelligence and common sense. Advice on how you deal with it would no doubt benefit those who suffer from these afflictions in Oz. Perhaps you could help "The Magician" also, what was it again that he said to the Pakistani?, wasn't there a mention of people who belong in a zoo? Don't fear for the Australian team though, when you are at the top of the tree, you expect snipers to take shots at you. but good on you Greg, you keep pushing that Yarpie barrow, and one day, you might have team that can back up your boasting. To adapt a line Top Gun - your mouth is writing cheques, that your team cannot cash.

Seems these site gods didn't like the first response... but basically... in 2008 South Africa is the top team, Teddy, I'm not being beligerent about this, its the truth. I've looked at the rest Oz, India and Sri Lanka... and they just don't have the goods in 2008. Spin your Nupee top, but your words will come back to haunt you when SA go to Number 1 shortly and then beat first India, then England and then Oz in December... that you can take to the bank !

Greg. Your propaganda is always devoid of facts so it is hard to argue with you. But I suspect that you will be missing from these pages by the end of the year, given your embarassingly optimistic predictions for 08. I don't know whether you are so fanatical that you really believe that the very average Proteas are going to find some form and ability from somewhere, or whether you are just incredibly ignorant about all matters, but of cricket in particular. Have you got any comments on Gibbs use of masterful sledging to the pakistani?

2007 Rugby World Cup flashbacks here... I picked SA to win, based on their dominance in the year (just like the Proteas)... so, I'll be here all 2008 and will be in Oz, to rub the salt in the wounds of my family in Melbourne when we whip you Yobbos ! Haaa, haaa.... Gibbs ? What is sledging....? A private conversation caught on stump mic ? Gibbs is entitled to his opinions... in the same way Merv Hughes was when he flew into the SA crowd... I think Pakistani's agreed with Gibbs that those particular fans belonged in the zoo, although I heard he actually said... Australia !