BOUCH - Through my Eyes

When Mark Boucher played his first game of cricket for South Africa a senior player took him aside and bluntly told him he was the worst wicketkeeper ever to play in the national side. Over a decade later when Bouch finally retired with a plethora of records under his belt and to huge acclaim from the public he took grim satisfaction in relating this piece of history.Through my Eyes is the story of a man with remarkable sporting prowess. Born into a sports-mad family in East London he excelled in squash tennis and rugby before choosing cricket as his preferred sport. His extraordinary achievements on the field are well known - he was voted SA player of the year in 1998 2000 and 2006. What is not so well known and makes up much of this book are the behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes. Stories of staring down the barrel of defeat and of celebrating victory; of developing strong bonds with teammates Graeme Smith Jacques Kallis and others that go way beyond mere friendship. What emerges is the image of a man who always fought for the underdog whose never-say-die attitude inspires those around him.Bouch's career was brought to a dramatic end on a cricket pitch in England when the bail of a stump punctured his left eye. But in his own words 'I lost sight but gained vision.' True to his character of gritty determination Bouch has rededicated his life to a new cause that of the environment and particularly the critically endangered rhino.