South Africa will miss Boucher’s presence, says ex-Proteas skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kepler-Christoffel-Wessels-c71006 – Cricket News Update
Former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, starting at The Oval on Thursday, July 19, 2012.
“It was a real shame ... from his personal point of view it will be absolutely devastating,” said the former South Africa batsman about Boucher's injury, in an interview with a sports website, on Monday. “The South African side will miss his presence, his
experience and what he brings to the team,” he added further.
The tourists lost their first choice wicketkeeper, Mark Boucher, to a serious eye injury, which he had sustained during the two-day tour match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Somerset-c843, at Taunton, last Monday. The 35-year-old Cape Province gloveman was forced to leave the field
on the opening day of the warm-up match after he got struck in his left eye by a bail, after http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Tahir’s googly.
The wicketkeeper batsman was rushed to the hospital with bleeding eye, where he underwent an emergency surgery, and was latter sent back home for further treatment and rehabilitation. Boucher, who was just one dismissal away from a record 1000, had also
announced retirement from international cricket, through skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473, before leaving for South Africa.
Asked about the possible South African combination after Boucher’s ill-fated departure, Wessels tipped http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 as the most likely replacement behind the stumps, adding that it will allow the tourists to reinforce their lower order by bringing in a
batsman at No. 7.
“What I see them doing is keeping with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Allan-Robert-Border-c43726 de Villiers and then picking an extra batsman,” said the former South African skipper, who played 40 Tests and 109 One Day Internationals for Proteas during an international career spanning 1982-1994.
“It will probably enable them to bring in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JP-Duminy-c1742 at number seven, which will be handy for them as he bowls off-spin as well. It will also lengthen their tail as it means they have seven guys who are good enough to make the Test side as a batsman,” he
added further.
The three-Test series between England and South Africa will be followed by five One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.
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