Proteas rest Boucher

Wicketkeeper's omission unrelated to disciplinary hearing

By Graeme Mair   Last updated: 16th August 2007

Boucher Mark South Africa Jun 07

Boucher: disciplinary hearing

Mark and I had a long discussion about a month ago and we both agreed that with the strenuous season ahead we need to ease his workload on the one hand and on the other hand to give AB more game time with the gloves.

Mickey Arthur
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South Africa have rested Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp for the tour of Zimbabwe.

Wicketkeeper Boucher is omitted to allow Abraham de Villiers a chance behind the stumps, while all-rounder Kemp has been given leave to get married.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn fills in for Kemp, and the rest of the party is made up of South Africa's Twenty20 World Championship squad.

That means no place for Jacques Kallis, who resigned the vice captaincy and is considering his future after being controversially left out of the Twenty20 squad.

Solidarity with axed Kallis

Boucher faces a United Cricket Board of South Africa disciplinary hearing on Friday for speaking out in support of Kallis, although coach Mickey Arthur was keen to stress that his omission from the tour of Zimbabwe was unrelated.

"Mark and I had a long discussion about a month ago and we both agreed that with the strenuous season ahead we need to ease his workload on the one hand and on the other hand to give AB more game time with the gloves," read a statement from Arthur.

South Africa are scheduled to play three ODIs in Zimbabwe. The series-opener takes place at Bulawayo (Aug 22), followed by back-to-back games in Harare (Aug 25 and 26).

The Twenty20 World Championship takes place in South Africa from September 11-24.

South Africa squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Gulam Bodi, Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander, Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Thandi Tshabalala, Johan van der Wath.