Former South African cricket player will undergo more eye surgeries
July 26, 2012
When South African cricket star Mark Boucher, 35, suffered a traumatic eye injury in a game against England, he was forced to end his career early. The Proteas wicketkeeper was transferred to a nearby hospital following the injury for emergency surgery. His team showed their support by visiting Boucher in the hospital as soon as the game against Taunton ended.
Shortly thereafter, his official retirement was announced. Boucher returned to South Africa after a brief recovery to pursue further treatment for his injured eye. Now, he will have to go under the knife again in order to save his vision. While it's clear the athlete will never return to the field on a professional level, there is still hope his eyesight can be mostly saved, according to Reuters.
"While it is impossible to predict the long-term outcome of Mark's eye injury, his medical team are nevertheless cautiously optimistic that he will have a reasonable recovery of the vision in his left eye," The athlete's physician, Dr Peter Sandell, said in a statement. "Over the next three to six months, Mark will undergo further surgery procedures in an attempt to improve his vision."
According to SportLive, Boucher's former teammates and coaches are saddened by the loss of one of their star players, but they know his personal health comes before the game. Boucher holds the world record for getting 555 dismissals in 147 tests while playing for the Proteas.
The cricket player had hinted at the possibility of his retirement following the team's England tour, but no one expected him to leave the sport in such a manner. Those who want to discuss Boucher's upsetting final game and the future of the Proteas team without him can make calls to South Africa with international phone cards.