The South African team has the talent and ability to win the 50-over cricket World Cup to be held in the Indian subcontinent next year, feels Andrew Hudson, the newly-appointed convenor of selectors.
Elgar appeared to give his backing to Boucher after former Test spinner Paul Adams said he had been called a "brown shit" in a South Africa team song during his time in the side, including by former wicket-keeper Boucher, who has since apologised.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith refused to blame his players for the defeat to New Zealand in the World Cup, saying they trained hard and gave it their best shot.
South Africa seem to possess just too many weapons for Tuesday's Group B match against an Irish team which look exhausted after pulling off the first upset of the World Cup.
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting expressed surprise that Ashwell Prince declined the chance to captain South Africa in the third and final Test starting on Thursday. 'When opportunities come around like that I think any Australian would grab it with both hands,' Ponting told reporters on Wednesday.
With two comprehensive victories under their belt, South Africa have already stamped their authority in this World Cup. But captain Graeme Smith made it clear that it is just the beginning of a long tournament and they have adopted the policy of taking 'one game at a time'.
After a week of action at the Cricket World Cup, with each team now playing at least one match, here's an analysis of how the main contenders are shaping up.
South Africa, replying to England's first innings of 445, were 84 for two wickets at the close on the second day of the third Test.
Rajasthan Police has confirmed that there is a terror threat to the first One-Day International (ODI) to be played between India and South Africa at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur.
Images from the 4th ODI between India and South Africa played in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
South African captain Graeme Smith said his side were starting to relax and play some of their best cricket.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni had to endure his first Test defeat as captain against a team that had given him his first win as well -- South Africa.
The flat decks in India no longer worry pacers, said South Africa captain Graeme Smith as he attributed Dale Steyn's devastating form in the first cricket Test against India to a changed mindset of not letting conditions dictate bowling.
A magnificent 159 by the ever reliable Jacques Kallis, an equally well-made 115 by Hashim Amla and their unbroken 285-run partnership for the third wicket helped South Africa to a commanding position against India on the first day of the opening Test at Nagpur on Saturday.
South Africa's wrecker-in-chief in the 135-run win over India, medium pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe, is on a high as one among his four victims was Sachin Tendulkar but he prefers not to talk about it as he does not want to "anger" the batting icon.
South Africa's top batsmen gave a good impression of themselves as the two-day match against Board President's XI ended in a draw in Nagpur on Wednesday. Having bowled out the local side for 318, Graeme Smith and his men did overwhelm the target, folding for 354, but not before leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (4/88) and offie R Ashwin (3/96) exposed the vulnerability of the Proteas, especially the middle and lower order, against turning deliveries.
The visitors commence their short tour with a two-day warm-up game against the Board President's XI, led by Mumbai middle order batsman Rohit Sharma, on February 2. This will be followed by two Tests -- Nagpur (Feb 6-10) and Kolkata (Feb 14-18) and three one-dayers in Jaipur (Feb 21), Kanpur (Feb 24) and Ahmedabad (Feb 27).
South African captain Graeme Smith and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori are among those who have agreed to join the Indian Premier League.
On a high after drawing a Test series on African soil for the first time, India have been left to deal with a couple of injury setbacks as they take on South Africa, sans Test skipper Graeme Smith, in the only Twenty20 International match of the tour in Durban on Sunday.
Australia retained off-colour Matthew Hayden and replaced the injured trio of Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson with three uncapped players for the third and final Test against South Africa. Having already conceded the three-match series to Graeme Smith's men, the selectors on Tuesday drafted in three uncapped players -- pacemen Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus and all-rounder Andrew McDonald -- in the 12-man squad.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hasn't been lucky with the coin of late and there are times when the spin of the coin does have a telling impact on the match.
Virender Sehwag on Friday slipped to fifth position, loss of one place, in the ICC ranking for the Test batsmen but his fellow opener Gautam Gambhir held on to his top position.
India will be under pressure to justify their number one ranking by winning away from home when they play second-placed South Africa in a three-match Test series, starting at Centurion on Thursday.
Experienced South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis will not be able to bowl in the first Test against England, captain Graeme Smith said on Tuesday.
JP Duminy smashed a South African record score of 96 not out to lead the home side to an eight-run victory over Zimbabwe in a Twenty20 International on Sunday. South Africa, who clinched the series 2-0, piled up 194 for six and Zimbabwe made a spirited reply with a national record total of 186 for seven.
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan pipped Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and South African captain Graeme Smith to become Wisden Cricketer's World Test Player of the Year on Thursday.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff was recalled to the national team on Monday after England took only three South African wickets on the last two days of the first Test at Lord's. Former captain Flintoff, 30, who has not played Test cricket since January last year, is the only the change to an England 12 named shortly after a sixth successive Test draw.
The Rajasthan Royals team in the ongoing Indian Premier League gives you a few lessons on how to create wealth.
South Africa survived a fiery spell of fast bowling to complete a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies before lunch on day four of the third Test on Tuesday and clinch the series 2-0. Needing 47 to win, the Proteas limped to 49 for three after fast bowler Kemar Roach struck Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis on the helmet and the umpires had to intervene to keep the peace as tempers flared between the players.
South Africa were 46 for two in reply to the West Indies' modest total of 231 at the end of the first day's play in the third and final Test in Barbados on Saturday. Captain Graeme Smith was unbeaten on 35 at the close, with nightwatchman Paul Harris two not out for the visitors who are 1-0 up in the series.
The second Test was meandering towards a draw when South Africa reached 23 for no loss at the end of the fourth day in St Kitts on Monday, a lead of 20 over West Indies.
South Africa took control of the first Test against West Indies on Saturday after pacemen Dale Steyn, who reached 200 Test wickets, and Morne Morkel had skittled the hosts for 102 on the third day. South Africa, with a first innings lead of 250, declined to enforce the follow-on and extended their lead by reaching 155 for two at the close at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad.
Pouring rain and three wickets set South Africa back in the opening Test against West Indies.
Jaffer and Sehwag on Friday registered their first double century partnership for the first wicket - their third 100-plus in Tests.
Defending champions Rajasthan Royals were dealt a massive blow as captain-cum-coach Shane Warne was on Tuesday ruled out of the Indian Premier League for the next 10 days owing to a hamstring injury. The Australian was injured while batting against Deccan Chargers on Monday night and will be out of action for the next 10 days, making him unavailable for the rest of the team's campaign unless his side makes the final.
Under the scanner for his suspect action, spinner Johan Botha was on Monday appointed deputy to captain Graeme Smith while teen batting sensation Wayne Parnell was also included in the 15-member South African cricket squad for next month's Twenty20 World Championship in England.
Following are the stats from the World Twenty20 match between New Zealand and England played on Monday.
Australia's decision to pull out of next month's three-Test tour in South Africa due to the COVID-19 pandemic is "extremely disappointing" considering the hosts had put in place a number of safety measures, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Tuesday.
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