South Africa’s Mark Boucher has joined Kolkata Knight Riders as the wicketkeeping consultant and he will work along with his former teammate and close friend Jacques Kallis who’s the head coach of the two-time Indian Premier League champions.
The former South African wicket-keeper joined the side on Wednesday and he was seen accompanying the team playing golf on the sidelines of a charity event at the RCGC on Thursday.
A former Knight during his stint in 2011 season, Boucher will play a key role in honing the skills of their wicketkeeping duo of Robin Uthappa and Sheldon Jackson.
Boucher is the latest to join a group of high-profile South African coaches in the IPL that includes Paddy Upton (Delhi Daredevils), Jonty Rhodes (Mumbai Indians fielding coach), Eric Simons (Rising Pune Supergiants bowling coach) and Allan Donald (Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling coach).
The 39-year-old Boucher, who also represented Royal Challengers Bangalore between 2008 and 2010, has played 147 Tests, 295 ODIs and 25 T20Is, notching up a record 998 International dismissals, before a freak eye injury ended his career during South Africa’s tour of England in 2012.
In a tour match against Somerset, Boucher suffered the injury after a dislodged bail hit his left eye that resulted in loss of his lens, iris and pupil.
It was an Imran Tahir googly that hit the stumps and the bail hit Boucher’s left eye, forcing him to leave the field with a bleeding eye.
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