Mark Boucher
A man to go to war with, but never against, Mark Boucher packs all the archetypical attributes of the South African cricketer into his short, stocky frame. He is relentlessly competitive, invariably aggressive, and as hard and uncompromising as the new ball. He makes a point of, in his own words, "walking onto the field as if you own the place".
His relative lack of pure wicketkeeping skill and ability was exposed on South Africa's 1998 tour to England when he was repeatedly undone by the swing of the ball after it had pitched. But even then, as now, Boucher had no peer in terms of temperament, guts and determination, and he duly fashioned himself into one of the finest glovemen in the game. He can often be seen, long after the rest of the squad has hit the showers after a training session, willing himself through another set of wicketkeeping drills. The hard work has paid off, and he is likely to hold the record for Test dismissals - among many others - long after his retirement.
As a batsman Boucher lives for the big moment, the quick 30 or 40 his team needs to win a match, or the session that must be spent at the crease to ensure a draw. His most memorable innings is probably the scintillating unbeaten 50 he scored to complete South Africa's surge to a series-clinching target of 438 for 9 off the penultimate ball of a one-day international against Australia in Johannesburg in March 2006.
Boucher strutted through 75 consecutive Tests before the suits thought he needed to be brought down a peg or two and dropped him for the tour to India in 2004. His reality duly checked, he returned to the national team as the ultimate man for the trenches. Now in the autumn of his career, his renewed commitment to his conditioning should earn him extra years at the top.
For a man who looms so large in the world of cricket, Boucher started small. He was invariably smaller, and younger, than anyone else in the age-group provincial teams he played in. But the neon intensity in his eyes in the otherwise banal team photographs told of a kid who meant business. Boucher was a junior South African squash champion, and famously once played a national final with a racquet arm that had not long before emerged from a plaster cast. He lost, but in five games.
His relative lack of pure wicketkeeping skill and ability was exposed on South Africa's 1998 tour to England when he was repeatedly undone by the swing of the ball after it had pitched. But even then, as now, Boucher had no peer in terms of temperament, guts and determination, and he duly fashioned himself into one of the finest glovemen in the game. He can often be seen, long after the rest of the squad has hit the showers after a training session, willing himself through another set of wicketkeeping drills. The hard work has paid off, and he is likely to hold the record for Test dismissals - among many others - long after his retirement.
As a batsman Boucher lives for the big moment, the quick 30 or 40 his team needs to win a match, or the session that must be spent at the crease to ensure a draw. His most memorable innings is probably the scintillating unbeaten 50 he scored to complete South Africa's surge to a series-clinching target of 438 for 9 off the penultimate ball of a one-day international against Australia in Johannesburg in March 2006.
Boucher strutted through 75 consecutive Tests before the suits thought he needed to be brought down a peg or two and dropped him for the tour to India in 2004. His reality duly checked, he returned to the national team as the ultimate man for the trenches. Now in the autumn of his career, his renewed commitment to his conditioning should earn him extra years at the top.
For a man who looms so large in the world of cricket, Boucher started small. He was invariably smaller, and younger, than anyone else in the age-group provincial teams he played in. But the neon intensity in his eyes in the otherwise banal team photographs told of a kid who meant business. Boucher was a junior South African squash champion, and famously once played a national final with a racquet arm that had not long before emerged from a plaster cast. He lost, but in five games.
Full name Mark Verdon Boucher
Born December 3, 1976, East London, Cape Province
Current age 33 years 356 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Border, Cape Cobras, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Warriors
Playing role Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 136 192 22 5240 125 30.82 10483 49.98 5 33 621 20 485 22
ODIs 292 218 56 4664 147* 28.79 5505 84.72 1 26 354 83 400 22
T20Is 25 21 6 268 36* 17.86 275 97.45 0 0 22 2 18 1
First-class 198 288 40 8348 134 33.66 9 51 663 36
List A 358 282 67 6143 147* 28.57 2 35 476 31
Twenty20 70 57 20 1010 57* 27.29 878 115.03 0 2 76 31 39 9
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 136 1 8 6 1 1/6 1/6 6.00 4.50 8.0 0 0 0
ODIs 292 - - - - - - - - - - - -
T20Is 25 - - - - - - - - - - - -
First-class 198 26 26 1 1/6 26.00 6.00 26.0 0 0
List A 358 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twenty20 70 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Career statistics
Test debut Pakistan v South Africa at Sheikhupura, Oct 17-21, 1997
Last Test Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
ODI debut New Zealand v South Africa at Perth, Jan 16, 1998
Last ODI West Indies v South Africa at Port of Spain, Jun 3, 2010
T20I debut South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg, Oct 21, 2005
Last T20I Pakistan v South Africa at Gros Islet, May 10, 2010
First-class debut 1995/96
Last First-class Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
Last First-class Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
List A debut 1995/96
Last List A Warriors v Knights at Port Elizabeth, Nov 5, 2010
Twenty20 debut Eastern Cape v Western Province Boland at Port Elizabeth, Apr 13, 2004
Last Twenty20 Warriors v Chennai Super Kings at Johannesburg, Sep 26, 2010
Last List A Warriors v Knights at Port Elizabeth, Nov 5, 2010
Twenty20 debut Eastern Cape v Western Province Boland at Port Elizabeth, Apr 13, 2004
Last Twenty20 Warriors v Chennai Super Kings at Johannesburg, Sep 26, 2010
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