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Boucher working towards limited-overs return

Mark Boucher, the South Africa wicketkeeper, has recovered from a shoulder injury and is set to continue his bid to return to South Africa's limited-overs sides

ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Nov-2010
Mark Boucher needs domestic limited-overs performances to push his case  •  AFP

Mark Boucher needs domestic limited-overs performances to push his case  •  AFP

Mark Boucher, the South Africa wicketkeeper, has recovered from a shoulder injury and is set to continue his bid to return to the national limited-overs sides. Boucher is presently part of only the Test team, while AB de Villiers is keeping wicket in the one-day and Twenty20 formats.
Boucher recently returned from a six-week injury layoff and took four catches and effected a stumping for the Warriors during their 128-run defeat to the Knights in Port Elizabeth. He is desperate to regain his place in the ODI squad after he was dropped for the five-match series in the West Indies in May. He was not selected for the ongoing series against Pakistan in the UAE either.
"For as long as I can go, and as long as I can keep learning and keep becoming a better cricketer, I will keep going," Boucher said.
South Africa's coach Corrie van Zyl had said Boucher needed to work on his limited-overs game and, although he did not mention anything specific, it was widely believed that Boucher was dropped because of his batting. He averaged 21.00 in his last 10 ODIs and his lower-order match-winning skills were thought to have waned.
The door is still open for Boucher, though, as South Africa build towards the 2011 World Cup. "We have not finalised the World Cup squad yet, therefore all South African first-class cricketers are eligible and will be considered, taking into account form and results of domestic cricket," Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors, told ESPNcricinfo.
Boucher will join the Test team in the UAE for the first Test against Pakistan, which begins on November 12 at the Dubai International Stadium. Before that, he will have one more MTN40 match for the Warriors against the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg. The Warriors have played two matches in the competition so far, winning their first game against the Titans by two wickets before their loss to the Knights.