If cricketers had a day named after them

6. Wicket Keeper’s Day – Mark Boucher (December 3):

Mark Boucher leads the benchmark for international wicket keeping. During the course of his 15-year long career, Boucher set the bar so high that very few succeeding him could match. Boucher retired with a world record 999 international dismissals as a wicket keeper in 2012.

Though he wasn’t the best from day one, Boucher worked hard and honed his skills to become the best. His footwork was immaculate, reflexes faster than a leopard. He became the quickest to reach 100 dismissals & had the most innings without conceding a bye. Boucher featured for 75 Tests on a stretch till 2004.

He saved his best as a batsman for the big moments such as a quickfire 50 in that epic 434 chase against Australia in 2006. A Champion of true sorts, Boucher had a rather unfortunate end to his career. He was stuck in the eye with a bail during a practice match in England and was forced to retire before the start of what was supposed to be his last test series, due to the injury.

Also read – 10 Facts about Mark Boucher – The Great South African Wicketkeeper