Mark Boucher’s eye injury not severe, say doctors

Mark Boucher’s left eyeball was torn by a dislodged bail off an Imran Tahir delivery © Getty Images

Johannesburg: Jul 20, 2012

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The freak accident involving former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher left his eye less severely injured than initially thought, doctors said after he underwent a second operation on Thursday.

“The important parts of the retina were intact, confirming previous findings,” the medical team of a Cape Town clinic said in a statement.

“The blood which accumulated due to the trauma was removed. There were no complications, no bleeding, and nothing else unexpected.”

The 35-year-old’s left eyeball was torn by a dislodged bail off an Imran Tahir delivery during a warm-up match prior to a three-Test series in England last Monday.

Doctors had feared he would be left totally blind in the damaged eye, but the prognosis has improved over time.

“The outcome looks very positive and the surgeon is pleased with the procedure,” they said on Thursday.

Boucher, whose Test career spanned 15 years, immediately retired from international cricket following the injury. (AFP)