Dave Richardson, who was a rock-solid presence in 42 Tests after South Africa’s re-admission into the international scene, set the benchmark. He’s delighted that Mark Boucher, his understudy, raised the bar even further
11-Jan-2007
‘Mark Boucher managed a fine balance between keeping and batting’ © Getty Images
What struck me initially about Mark Boucher was his determination to succeed and his natural ability with the bat. When I saw him bat in his early days, I thought to myself: “He doesn’t look like a guy who is in any sort of trouble.” He toured Australia early in his career and the on-field attitude he observed from the Australians made a big impact on him. He was hugely respectful of the never-say-die attitude that Steve Waugh displayed and it’s been evident throughout his career.Mark had to play in an age where the definition of the wicketkeeper has undergone a change. It’s not enough to just be a good ‘keeper anymore but one needs to contribute significantly with the bat as well. I think he’s got the right balance. Adam Gilchrist and him are probably the only two ‘keepers who have the correct balance between batting and keeping. Both take their keeping very, very seriously in addition to their batting. They haven’t neglected their keeping skills in any way. In some teams you have the wicketkeeper who’s in the side mainly as a batsman and who can do a fairly good job behind the stumps. In Mark’s case he’s particularly determined to perform as a ‘keeper everytime he goes out there. He’s never happy if he lets through a few byes or a chance. He’s never confused the two trades and has done justice to both.He’s been a leader for South Africa, always being spoken about as someone who the youngsters can look upto. I don’t necessarily think he’s a leader in the temperamental sense but can inspire by example. He’s never prepared to give up and his belief rubs off on others. As a wicketkeeper you don’t go through 100 Tests and not gain incredible experience in the tactical side of the game. So he’s very well placed to know if the bowlers are bowling the correct line and length and by the nature of the job, ‘keepers make very good vice-captains. Mark has played a pivotal role in that regard.He’s had some outstanding games for South Africa over the years. He seemed to be going through a dip in his career a couple of years back – when Ray Jennings took over as the coach of the side. I think Ray, who was a former wicketkeeper himself, came down really hard on him with regard to training. During that period in his career, Mark could have easily said, “See I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do” and given up.
Dave Richardson is pleased that South Africa, like Australia, have enjoyed a continuity with regard to wicketkeepers © Getty Images
But he really knuckled down and got his keeping to a level we haven’t seen before. I think he’s much more consistent with his keeping now than say five years ago. That determination to not be a mediocre allrounder but be the best wicketkeeper in the world was an example of his work ethic. Never through that period did he neglect his batting and he’s played some wonderful innings for South Africa on his return.Australia and South Africa are the only two teams that have had continuity in wicketkeepers over the years. You think Australia and you have Rod Marsh, Ian Healy and Gilchrist; similarly for us we’ve had myself and Mark Boucher. I’d like to give the selectors some credit for that. It’s not easy to identify a good wicketkeeper. At the time I was retiring there was a choice between 2-3 wicketkeepers – Steve Palframan, Nic Pothas and a few others – and I think the selectors made the right choice, allowing Mark to have such a long career. If they’d chosen a wrong person at that time, South Africa would have probably had 3-4 wicketkeepers in the interim.