Cricinfo - Players and Officials

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Full name Mark Verdon Boucher
Born December 3, 1976, East London, Cape Province
Current age 31 years 171 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Border, Cape Cobras, ICC World XI, Warriors
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	114	161	20	4234	125	30.02	8475	49.95	4	28	519	15	411	20
ODIs	263	193	48	4203	147*	28.98	4996	84.12	1	25	320	73	368	18
T20Is	9	7	0	134	36	19.14	149	89.93	0	0	14	0	9	0
First-class	171	251	36	7226	134	33.60			8	45			578	33
List A	323	251	58	5542	147*	28.71			2	33			434	26
Twenty20	25	23	6	524	57*	30.82	481	108.93	0	2	46	12	17	3

Bowling averages
	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	114	1	8	6	1	1/6	1/6	6.00	4.50	8.0	0	0	0
ODIs	263	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
T20Is	9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	171		26	26	1	1/6		26.00	6.00	26.0		0	0
List A	323	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Twenty20	25	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Career statistics
Test debut	Pakistan v South Africa at Sheikhupura, Oct 17-21, 1997 scorecard
Last Test	India v South Africa at Kanpur, Apr 11-13, 2008 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	New Zealand v South Africa at Perth, Jan 16, 1998 scorecard
Last ODI	South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Feb 3, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg, Oct 21, 2005 scorecard
Last T20I	South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Jan 18, 2008 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut	1995/96
Last First-class	India v South Africa at Kanpur, Apr 11-13, 2008 scorecard
List A debut	1995/96
Last List A	South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Feb 3, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Eastern Cape v Western Province Boland at Port Elizabeth, Apr 13, 2004 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Chennai Super Kings v Bangalore Royal Challengers at Chennai, May 21, 2008 scorecard

Profile

It is a measure of the rapidity of Mark Boucher's rise that no-one is quite sure exactly how many cricketing records he currently holds. Fastest man to a 100 dismissals here, most innings without a bye over the road - they've tumbled out so quickly that it has been difficult to keep up. He also held the record for the highest score by a nightwatchman. Probably his most significant achievement, however, came in only his second Test match, his first on home soil, against Pakistan at the Wanderers in February 1998 when he and Pat Symcox put on 195 to set a new Test ninth-wicket partnership record. The real relevance of this feat lay not so much in its numbers, but in the fact that it was built with South Africa in desperate trouble at 166 for 8.

Boucher had made his Test debut still short of his 21st birthday a few months previously when he was rushed to Sheikhupura to stand in for the injured Dave Richardson. He served his apprenticeship on South Africa's 1997-98 tour of Australia, and took over as the first-choice keeper when Richardson retired at the end of that series. Boucher was not everyone's first choice to succeed Richardson - Gauteng's Nic Pothas had been waiting in the wings for some time - but once Boucher got his hands on the position, he refused to let it go. He found conditions in England difficult, both on the 1998 tour and during the 1999 World Cup, but he demonstrated courage, determination and nous in what became a run of 75 consecutive Tests before he was left out for the tour of India late in 2004. Those qualities brought him three Test hundreds in his first 25 Tests, and earmarked him as a possible future No. 5 or No. 6 batsman. He was also awarded the South African vice-captaincy when Shaun Pollock took over from Hansie Cronje, recognition of his willingness to get down and scrap when his team needs it - and he promised a scrap to regain the wicketkeeping gloves when a form dip eventually did cost him his place.

A brilliant, unbeaten 50 in the most thrilling one-day match ever - against Australia at Johannesburg on March 12 - saw South Africa chase down a record 434 with one wicket to go. In the ensuing three-Test series, displayed fine work behind the stumps and showed his love of a contest against Australia with two fantastic half-centuries and 175 runs at 35. Boucher kept decently in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka and played two gritty fifty-plus knocks even as South Africa fell 2-0. He was appointed captain for the ensuing tri-series also featuring India but played no part as South Africa withdrew after a bomb explosion in Colombo. Boucher was replaced as captain for a short home series against Zimbabwe but was his side's highest run-scorer at the Champions Trophy in India. He remains a key component to the South African side in both forms of the game, his consistent batting allowing them another all-round option with plenty more challenges ahead as the team chase Australia at the top of the rankings. Against Pakistan in Karachi, 2007, he went past Ian Healy to claim the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper.
Jamie Alter October 2007