THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher said Wednesday that he lost the lens, iris and pupil of his left eye in the freak accident at a match that forced him to retire early from the game he loved.
Boucher released a statement describing his injuries in detail for the first time and discussing his recovery since the July accident during a tour match in England against Somerset. Along with his future plans, he also described the pain of undergoing two major operations and four blood drainings from his injured eye.
"Physically, at times, I have been in a lot of pain," Boucher said, adding that he hoped to regain some vision in his eye that also suffered retina damage. "It does get uncomfortable at times and being a sportsman, I want to be active and outdoors but, without a pupil, I find any amount of sunlight very harsh and have thus been restricted to the confines of my home."
Boucher was hurt when a delivery from legspinner Imran Tahir hit the bail, which then ricocheted into his eye. He announced his international retirement the day after the injury following an operation on the ruptured eyeball.
The injury stopped Boucher from becoming just the second South African and seventh player to reach 150 test appearances. Boucher left the game with a record 555 test dismissals, over 100 more than Australia’s Adam Gilchrist in second, and 425 ODI dismissals, along with 19 in Twenty20s.
He was one short of becoming the first wicketkeeper to reach 1,000 international dismissals.
He also averaged 30.30 as a middle and lower order batsman in tests with five centuries and 35 half centuries, adding to his reputation as a gutsy and ultra-competitive player.
Boucher said Wednesday that it was "unlikely" he will play professional cricket in the near future, for fear of further damaging his eyes. Instead, he plans to help fight rhino poaching in South Africa, to run a wine label.