August 16, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 2, 1428

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 15: The row over the omission of Jacques Kallis from South Africa's World Twenty20 team deepened on Wednesday when wicket-keeper Mark Boucher was summoned to a disciplinary hearing over comments he made criticising the decision.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) said Boucher would have to attend a hearing on Friday on five counts of breaching the body's rules and code of conduct following comments attributed to him in a newspaper article.

Boucher was quoted by the Business Day as suggesting there were ulterior motives for Kallis being left out. “It is either those who have an issue with him, and have a chip on their shoulders, or those who have ulterior motives.”

He did not elaborate.

Boucher said of Kallis, who resigned as South African vice-captain after being left out: “He's the best all-rounder we've ever had and he's saved more [limited overs] games than anyone realises – and he is a far better one-day player than he is given credit for.”

He poured scorn on recent allegations about excessive drinking in the camp and the existence of a senior players' clique.

“In my off-season I have been doing some building on my house and reading about my being an alcoholic,” he said. “I see pictures of myself and Herschelle (Gibbs) sitting at a pool-side bar and the accompanying article talks about how drinking is out of hand. It's all ridiculous.”

CSA announced Boucher would be charged under clauses relating to ‘unbecoming or detrimental conduct’, making comments detrimental to the game, to a particular tournament or match, and critical of the selection of a team.—AFP