Langer calls Boucher's respect comments 'stupid'

Ricky Ponting was disappointed with Mark Boucher's claims he lost respect for the Australians during the summer while Justin Langer added to the pre-series simmering by calling the comments "stupid". Boucher, who encouraged South African supporters to target the Australians over the next six weeks, said "nasty words" were spoken during their tour and they shared a post-match beer only "for the sake of it".

Langer, speaking on Inside Cricket, said the end-of-series dressing-room drink was an important part of the game. "We had a great time with Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis, and Mark Boucher was in there," Langer said. "For him to come out and say that was very surprising as a modern-day player and not in the spirit of how we should play Test cricket. For Mark Boucher to come out and say that they thought they had to [have a beer] just because it's the right thing to do ... it was a stupid comment."

Before flying to South Africa yesterday Ponting said he didn't understand where Boucher was coming from because the Tests were "played in the right spirit". "It is disappointing to hear those sorts of things," he said in the Daily Telegraph. "I don't think there was anything spiteful on the ground. It was tight and intense, but that is what you expect Test cricket to be."

Ponting has prepared his players to be abused by the South African crowds during the Twenty20 International on Friday, the five one-day games and the three Tests. "When we get over there I am sure we're going to have a lot of things said to us," he said, "and we've just got to deal with it as best we can."

"No matter what South Africa throws at us," Langer said, "it's going to be child's play compared to what we got in England. I've never felt as intimidated, if that's the right word, as we did in England [during the Ashes]."

Langer might have been feeling in a punchy mood when he responded to Boucher as he had enjoyed a two-round boxing session with Vic Darchinyan, a world flyweight champion, earlier in the day. Stepping into the ring is a regular cross-training exercise for Langer, who is a martial arts black belt, and he said the experience was similar to a Test.

"There's nowhere to hide," he told AFP. "You've got to face a lot of your own fears. If you punch someone properly it's like hitting the ball in the middle of the cricket bat - it's a really nice feeling."