Timid?

So here is the Boucher interview ( of sorts) in the Star

Ricky Ponting may believe the great expectations that South Africa will carry into next week's first Test at the Wanderers might be a burden, but veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher wouldn't have it any other way.

"If you want to be the best side in the world then you must live with that kind of expectation. We want to be the best team in the world, obviously there's a lot of expectation and pressure, but we're looking forward to it," said Boucher.

Even for Boucher, a veteran of 123 Tests, the situation South Africa find themselves in is an unusual one - favourites for a Test series against Australia.

In all his many battles with the side that hitherto have carried the crown as the world's best, Boucher has yet to find himself in a position where the South African side are expected to win.

However, like most other things on a cricket field, he is not fazed by the expectation.

"There's always hype about when South Africa meet Australia in a series, lots will be said before hand.

"It's important we don't get too far ahead of ourselves. We have to focus on the process. I've read a lot about what will happen after the series, but it's important that we take things one step at a time.

"Our biggest focus must be on preparing for the first Test and then the first session, and take it from there."

Boucher stressed that unlike previous Australian touring parties, the group that landed in South Africa this week doesn't have an invincible aura attached to it like the sides that contained Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.

"They have a few loopholes in their squad, there's no doubt about that. You only have to look at their side to see that," he said.

"But they are still a very good team. As a great cricketing nation, they would have been badly hurt by what happened over there and they will come back harder here."

Without many of those great players, Boucher feels the Australians may tone down their usual pre-series bravado.

"In the past, they've been fond of talking big before a series. They did it again before the last one in Australia. It will be interesting to see how they go about that sort of thing before this series."

Like most of the South African players, Boucher has been taking it easy since returning from the history-making tour to Australia in January.

His break was enforced, though, by the need to rest a broken toe which he picked up courtesy of a 150km/h yorker from Shaun Tait in the third one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"It's coming along pretty well. Normally you need up to six weeks for it to heal completely, but I guess I'll just have to play through a bit of pain. If I need it, I'll take an injection."

Boucher's experience will be heavily relied upon in the build-up ahead of next week's Wanderers Test.

Although the hype is certain to be massive, Boucher feels there's sufficient experience and nous within the South African group to deal with it.

"A lot of our guys are humble, they have their feet on the ground, they'll deal with it. And if anyone wants a chat, we as senior guys have to let it be known that we are there.

"A guy like JP (Duminy) came back and he's been a hero and he will have to deal with those personal pressures. He has gotten a lot of big accolades, but that's because he's done well and that's a good thing."

Much of South Africa's attention will be on how to repeat the success they had in Australia.

"It's important to remind ourselves what we did well in that series, but also about our mistakes. Those errors need to be rectified."

And here is Tim Nielson's response

"I'm certainly not saying it's timid," Nielsen said.

"It's more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we've played. That's something we've got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It's more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time.

"The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you're telling us that we're maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group, we are very confident.

"We feel as though we've got a good group, ready to play good Test-match cricket."

Remember Haddingate? The one in which Ricky Ponting claimed Vettori had apologized to Haddin only for Vettori to deny this.

Then, as now, words have been attributed to the opposition players that they never uttered. Which begs the question - how cuckoo is this current Australian outfit?

And what does one make of this gem

"It's more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we've played. That's something we've got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It's more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time.

"The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you're telling us that we're maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group, we are very confident.

Nielson spending too much time with Ponting?