Boucher retires from South African duty

South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has retired from international cricket after suffering a severe eye injury during his country’s tour match against Somerset, team captain Graeme Smith revealed on Tuesday.
Boucher had to undergo surgery on a “laceration” to the white of the left eyeball on Monday night after being struck by a bail on day one of the Proteas’ tour match at Taunton.
The incident occurred when a ball from spinner Imran Tahir clean bowled Gemaal Hussain, with Boucher stood up to the stumps and wearing a cap instead of a helmet.
He immediately hit the ground and was helped from the pitch with blood apparently coming from his eye.
The 35-year-old was due to return home after the operation and Smith, speaking at Taunton, read out a statement on Boucher’s behalf that confirmed his retirement from South Africa duty.
“I never anticipate announcing my retirement now but circumstances dictate differently,” Boucher said in the statement.
“For now, I’d like to thank a huge number of people for their heartfelt support for the last 24 hours. I now head onto a road of uncertain recovery.”

‘Wickekeeper must wear helmet against spinners’

Saba Karim, the former Indian wicketkeeper, was shocked to hear the news about the serious eye injury to South African wicketkeeper, Mark Boucher. “Ohhh, how it happened? Did he not wear the helmet?” were the immediate questions asked by the 45-year-old Karim.The 35-year-old Boucher was injured while standing up to leg-spinner Imran Tahir on the opening afternoon of the two-day tour match with Somerset.
He was wearing a cap, rather than a helmet, when a ball bowled Gemaal Hussain, flicking a bail up off the stumps and into his face.
“It was uncommon on those days for keepers to wear helmets. Perhaps after my incident the wickekeepers have started using helmets. The keepers should wear helmets when spinners are bowling”, Karim added. “Boucher, otheriwse, has always been wearing the helmets”. “If the surgery is being peroformed immediately, I can understand the seriousness of the injury”. In the year 2000, Saba Karim was hit below his right eye by a rising delivery from leg-spinner Anil Kumble while keeping wickets during India’s opening match against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Kumble’s googly shot up from a good length and grazed the flap of Bangladeshi batsman Habibul Bashar’s pad before hitting Karim’s face. The injury ruled the Bengal wicketkeeper-batsman out of further action in the tournament and had to return to Calcutta same night. “In my case, the surgery was not performed immediately. My macula was injured. Hope this does not happen to Boucher”, Saba Karim signed off.