Mark Boucher was a quality batsman;
his stumped victims are far less indicative of the nature of the attack that
South Africa have possessed for much of his career, sadly the odd spinner did
his undoing. Boucher had to leave the
field at the end of the 46th over of Somerset's innings, when a googly from
Imran Tahir hit the stumps and a dislodged bail struck Boucher in the left eye.
He underwent a surgery – couple of days later in a statement read out by Graeme
Smith, Boucher said: "It is with sadness, and in some pain, that I make
this announcement.
Due to the severity of my eye injury, I will not be able to
play international cricket again. Smith who had been his mate for many years
paid rich tributes to his skills, both on the field and off it, motivating,
inspiring and energizing the team. The Lord's
Test would have been his 150th appearance. Boucher ended his career with 998 international dismissals, including 555
from 147 Tests, which is a record.
The extent of the injury was described as severe and the eyeball (globe
of the eye) reportedly was repaired
during the operation – so a sad end came to long illustrious career of Mark Verdon
Boucher- ironically that was to be Imran Tahir’s first wicket of the tour
- the resulting flying bail caused
something far more serious than just broken stumps.
Freak
accidents are part of the game and the players are aware of such dangers. In this backdrop the incident mentioned in
Daily mail of a pensioner blinded in one eye after being struck by a cricket
ball 48 years ago has sight restored after routine check-up uncovers easy way
to fix it, sounds interesting. Mail
reports that Alan Read lost the sight in his left eye after being struck by a
cricket ball was 36 when he was hit
above his left eye while playing for a village team. Doctors at the time told
him he would never see out of it ever again - but 48 years later after a routine check was told
his sight could be saved. He underwent
an operation to relieve the pressure from behind his left eye and can now boast
of clear vision for the first time since the freak accident.
It is the story of Alan Read
from Sowerby, near Thirsk in North Yorkshire, who was
hit above his left eye with a cricket ball while playing for village team East
Burgholt, in Suffolk. The happy ending is that he could regain the sight in his
left eye, 48 years after being struck in the head. Mr Read, now 84, continued
to work and play sport throughout his life while coming to terms with the fact
he would never see again out of his left eye. However decades later when a
cataract began to grow on his healthy eye, surgeons assessed the damaged one
and realised they could give the pensioner his sight back after 48-years by
relieving the pressure.
It is reported that his
sight was restored after a three hour operation after he was sent to the James
Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and operated on by Dr Vaideanie
Collins. Although the father-of-two can now boast of his clear vision for the
first time since the accident, he said he had not longed for his sight to come
back over the years and had to accept what had happened. Mr Read's wife, Jo,
85, said that because of his age she feared he might die during the operation,
but was relieved when her husband came round; and was thrilled to know that his
eye sight now is restored.
Strange things
do happen in life.
With regards – S. Sampathkumar 24th Nov. 2014.
