If Shane Warne could hold his catches as well as he hold a grudge, Australia may not have lost the Ashes in 2005.

That way he would not have missed the relatively simple slips catch he dropped off Kevin Pietersen, allowing the former South African to score a century and save the last Test at The Oval, giving England its first Ashes series victoryin two decades.

By ranking Adam Gilchrist at a lowly No.20 and Steve Waugh a laughable No.26 among the cricketers he played with or against, Warne has once again exposed his immaturity and petty jealousies.

It is yet another example of why he was overlooked for both those players in leadership roles, much to his lasting anguish.

Waugh has already laughed off the schoolboy sledge and Gilchrist smiled broadly when asked about it in South Africa this week.

"He's done enough in the game and played enough cricket to be warranted his own opinion on who he's played with and against," Gilchrist told The Weekend Australian.

"As far as my position is concerned, to be in his top 20, given the amount of cricketers he has played with and against over the years, well it's a wonderful compliment."

Warne offered some wonderful theatre on the field and the game will miss that as much as his great bowling, but there is a compelling case to suggest that Gilchrist may just be the greatest entertainer the game has seen.

Not only are Gilchrist's batting achievements absolute world-class -5353 runs at 48.66 with 17 centuries in 90 Tests -- the way the potent lefthander has thrashed and bludgeoned those runs has left even the incomparable Don Bradman in his

wake.

Gilchrist, 35, has scored more than 82 runs from every 100 balls he has faced in Test matches, by far and away the best of any batsman with more than 2000 runs.

Four years ago, a number of former Australian greats were asked to rank the 10 best centuries in Australian history.

Greg Chappell simply said: "Adam Gilchrist has eight so far. Those are my top eight."

Despite all his heroics with the bat, Gilchrist defines himself with his wicketkeeping.

For Warne to suggest that Gilchrist was a batsman who was improving as a wicketkeeper adds ignorance to immaturity.

Gilchrist, relatively tall and gangly for a keeper, was always going to have a tough time behind the stumps following Ian Healy, who just may have been the greatest gloveman of all time.

Yet in 70 Tests with Warne, Gilchrist has claimed more stumpings (20) and overall dismissals (39) off the champion leg-spinner than Healy did (15 and 34) in 74 Tests.

Not that Gilchrist puts any great store in those impressive numbers.

"What does that mean? Who knows?" Gilchrist said.

"I've never been one to rely on stats to be the be-all and end-all of how youjudge a cricketer.

"What I do know is I can't question anyone rating Ian Healy's keeping as the best they've ever seen because I think that, too.

"I totally understand Warney having a very fond memory and view of what Ian Healy did in partnership with him."

Just 14 behind equalling Healy's record of 395 dismissals in 119 Tests, Gilchrist should beat it by midsummer if he continues his average ofjust under four dismissals a Test.

And Gilchrist plays down approaching milestones.

"I did a little bit too much press approaching my 300th dismissal, which, if all went well, was going to be

at Old Trafford during the Ashes in 2005, and I had probably my worst day behind the sticks," he recalled.

There is much to celebrate in Gilchrist's career so everyone who wants to pay their respects to one of the greats better race out and buy their tickets for the coming season. It may well be Gilchrist's last on Australian soil.

Not that Gilchrist is thinking like that -- far from it. He hasn't ruled out going on the 2009 Ashes tour, although he is not holding it up as any sort of long-term aim.

That tour appears remote, and the selectors may want Gilchrist's replacement, most likely NSW stalwart Brad Haddin, to be given the chance of bedding down the position during an Australian summer before making anAshes tour.

This would make the approaching home season Gilchrist's last but as far as he is concerned, the future can look afteritself.

Australia has a hectic schedule over the next 18 months -- 27 Tests, about 50 one-day matches and more than a dozen Twenty20 matches -but far from viewing it with trepidation in his cricketing twilight, there is a strong sense of optimism.

"I won't make any big statements or predictions in public about it (the future) because I'm not doing it in my own mind," he said.

"I sat down with the few people whose opinions mean the most to me, in particular (wife) Mel, and we really don't have a plan, we're just takingit asit comes."

The father of three may eventually give up one-day cricket to spend more time with his family and perhaps prolong his Test career, but there's no time frame on that either.

"Every time I answer that question, the headline seems to come up saying I could be pulling out of one-day cricket soon, which is not my plan," he said.

"I've never thought I would ever do that (give up one-dayers) but having seen it help others prolong their careers and the benefits they have

gained, maybe that's something I'll do but not in the near future."

There is some irony in the constant questioning of Gilchrist about when heis going to retire.

Last summer, he came within one ball of equalling Viv Richards' record for the fastest century -- 56 balls -during a manic batting display in the Perth Test against England.

And his last innings was a blazing 149 in just 104 balls to set up victory in the World Cup final.

"I've heard indirectly some people think that might be the best one to finish on," Gilchrist said. "I can understand that.

"I've had a bit more inconsistency in my batting in the last 12 to 18 months compared to what I had in the first part of my career.

"Whether that's an age thing or bowlers have worked me out a bit more, I don't know. England certainly had great plans in 2005 and executed them beautifully."

His Test batting average has fallen from 55.65 going into that Ashes tour to 48.66 two years later, although his one-day average is a constant 36 with a strike rate of almost a run a ball.

"We won't sit back and accept a falling away of our standards just because we've lost some great players," Gilchrist said of the retirements of Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn.

Gilchrist has a great sense of excitement attempting to maintain Australia's exceptional standards without them.

"That runs far deeper as a reason to play than whether I get a hundred or take five catches," he said.

"When you get time away from the game you just think about how much you enjoy it. How much you really love it. I still have that desire to do it."

(Revered cricket journalist Malcolm Conn wrote this for the Australian website).