Mark Boucher’s absence will inspire us to do well: Jacques Rudolph – Cricket News Update
South African middle-order batsman Jacques Rudolph has stated that the absence of veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who was recently forced to retire after sustaining a horrific eye injury, can serve as inspiration for the team to perform well in their upcoming Test series against England.
"What happened in Taunton was quite traumatic for the whole team," said Rudolph. "But we made a decision that we've got to try to move on from that as quickly as possible, especially from an emotional point of view."
"Bouch has played a big role in this team," he added. "The fact that he is not here will give us a bit more inspiration to do well for him."
The 35-year-old wicketkeeper made his debut in 1997, and had a career that spanned 147 Tests and 295 ODIs, with a total of 999 dismissals to his credit. The upcoming extended-overs leg of the Proteas’ tour of England was due to be Boucher’s 150th Test match, after which he had planned to retire from international cricket.
However, his plans were interrupted when he was struck on the left eye by a dislodged bail after a googly by Imran Tahir hit the stumps, during a warm-up match against Somerset in Taunton. Boucher was taken off field, and underwent a three-hour long surgery the very same day.
South Africa manager Mohammed Moosajee confirmed that the injury was “severe”, and the right-hander ended up announcing his retirement the next day, on July 10, explaining that the prospects of recovery were “uncertain”. However, recent reports have revealed that the Boucher’s surgeon Shuaib Manjra believes he has a very real chance of regaining the vision in his left eye.
Meanwhile, team management have appointed AB de Villiers the wicketkeeper for the first match of the upcoming series, with Thami Tsolekile also drafted into the squad. The crucial Test series affords South Africa the chance to knock England off their top berth on the ICC’s Test team rankings – a goal which the tourists are not taking lightly.
The first game of the 3-match series is scheduled to begin on July 19 at the Kennington Oval in London.
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