Mark Boucher shares an affinity with Pakistan. In October 1997, an injury to Dave Richardson gave him an emergency call-up to the tour of Pakistan. His debut at Sheikhupura was as unspectacular as the match itself, facing 11 balls before an Azhar Mahmood yorker sent his middle stump cartwheeling. With Richardson's impending retirement, the search was on for a successor, and in the tour of Australia that followed, Richardson virtually warmed the seat for the promising wicketkeeper.
The return series by Pakistan the following year made Boucher's career, both as a batsman and a 'keeper. Such was his impact on that series that he went on to play 75 consecutive Tests, a South African record. Against the same opposition nine years later, he has two milestones to look forward to, one of which is guaranteed. He will be the fourth South African to play 100 Tests, and is two catches away from breaking Ian Healy's world record of 366 catches, the most by any wicketkeeper. In terms of total dismissals, including stumpings, he has 380, behind Healy (395) and Adam Gilchrist (381).
He is also the third wicketkeeper to play 100 Tests - including the one-off Super Test against Australia in 2005 - after Healy and Alec Stewart. The table below lists Boucher's progression, and his first ten games were indicative of his proficiency behind the stumps.
Boucher's first entry into the record books came as early as his second Test, sharing a world-record ninth-wicket stand of 195 with Pat Symcox at Johannesburg against Pakistan, rescuing the side from a precarious position at 166 for 8. He made the third Test of that series at Port Elizabeth his own, aiding South Africa's revival with 52 and taking six catches in Pakistan's first innings and nine for the match. He repeated the feat of six dismissals in an innings twice since then, against Sri Lanka in 1997-98 and against Zimbabwe at Centurion in 2004-05.
December 13, 1999, was a special day for Boucher as he held the record for the quickest to 100 dismissals in Tests, taking just 23 matches. He broke the previous record set by Australia's Wally Grout, one which stood for 38 years. Gilchrist, who often competed with Boucher for the wicketkeeper's spot in imaginary World XI and fantasy squads, overtook Boucher two years later.
Boucher's aggregate of 3721 runs at an average of exactly 30 may not be earth shattering for a quality player, but statistics cannot measure the value of Boucher's crucial knocks at No. 7, often bailing the team out of deep waters like an unsung hero. Among wicketkeepers, his 25 half-centuries places him behind England's Alan Knott, who has 30 half-centuries to his credit. South Africa have won 10 matches in which Boucher has scored a half-century and his team has never lost a Test when he crossed 100.
South Africa's fast men have Boucher to thank for pouching several edges, none more so than Shaun Pollock. The description of 'c Boucher b Pollock' has occured 79 times, while Makhaya Ntini has 57 wickets with Boucher's assistance. Allan Donald finished his career with 53 victims with Boucher's help.