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AB de Villiers reckons Mark Boucher can still play a key role in South Africa’s upcoming Test series in England despite a freak injury that forced him into retirement. De Villiers is preparing to keep wicket in Boucher’s place during next week’s first Test at The Oval after the Proteas great suffered a severe eye injury after being struck by a flying bail in the tour opener against Somerset at Taunton earlier this week.
That injury prompted the 35-year-old Boucher, whose tally of 555 dismissals in 147 Tests is a world record, to announce his international retirement and so rule him out of a three-match series where any sort of win for South Africa will see them replace England as the world number one in the five-day format.
But de Villiers, who will try to get is glovework going during a three-day game against Kent in Canterbury, south-east of London, starting Friday, said Boucher, with the cricket world wishing him well in his battle to save the sight in his left eye, would prove a powerful source of inspiration. “He’s been an idol in South African cricket for many years; he’s been a rock, the guy with the guts,” middle-order batsman de Villiers, who has kept in a handful of Tests during Boucher’s 15-year career, said Thursday.
And the 28-year-old has particular reasons for wanting to do well in his former team-mate’s place. “He was someone who was there at the start of my career, who looked after me, took me under his wing, helped me a lot with my cricket,” de Villiers explained.
“I probably wouldn’t be here without him. It’s probably a big call but it’s true – he’s done a lot for my cricket.
“So not to have him here, it’s a bit of an emotional thing – which I’ve sort of gotten over over the last few days. But yes, they are huge boots to fill.”
Proteas vice-captain de Villiers added: “Obviously, he was, if not the best, then one of the best wicketkeepers in the world and I’m a little bit undercooked when it comes to Test cricket wicketkeeping.
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Article source: http://www.brecorder.com/top-stories/0/1215825/