Wicket-keeping will be a tough job for de Villiers, reckons Geoffrey Boycott – Cricket New Update
Former England cricketer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Allan-Robert-Border-c43726 de Villiers.
Speaking to media reporters on Monday, the cricketer turned commentator said that though de Villiers has been donning gloves in the One Day Internationals, he will have huge boots to fill if asked to do the role in the first Test, commencing at The Oval,
on Thursday, July 19.
“http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887’ll keep wicket all right, because he’s been doing it in 50-overs cricket. But the extra tiredness, mental and physical (in Tests) ... it is tough if you don’t do it regularly,” Boycott was quoted as saying by cricinfo.
South Africa’s regular Test wicketkeeper Mark Boucher was last week ruled out of the entire http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Somerset-c843. He was hit in the eye by a bail, dislodged after leg-spinner
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gemaal-Hussain-c1479.
After an urgent eye surgery, the 35-year-old veteran was sent home for further treatment and rehabilitation. Boucher though announced retirement from all cricket, before leaving England.
“You don’t want your career to end like that. It was one in a million...it’s like walking down the street and one person gets hit by a red bus,” said Boycott of Boucher’s injury.
“That’s what happened to Boucher, it’s actually one in zillions and he’s just been terribly, sadly unlucky.”
Though http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thami-Tsolekile-c2662 has been called up as Boucher’s replacement, experienced de Villiers will in all probability don gloves in the upcoming three-Test series.
The 28-year-old Pretoria cricketer has been keeping wickets with style in the shorter forms of the game, but to date he has kept wickets only in three Test matches.
The 71-year-old http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yorkshire-c867 man also fears the added responsibility might affect de Villiers role as South Africa’s middle order batting mainstay.
“We know he is a super batsman, but when he does six-and-a-half hours (behind stumps), will it be more tiring mentally to him?” said Boycott, a veteran of 108 Tests and 36 One Day Internationals.
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