De Villiers to keep wicket for Proteas in first Test against England

London: South Africa`s team management has decided that AB de Villiers will man the stumps in the first Test against England at The Oval after Mark Boucher`s retirement following a freak eye injury.

However, a long-term replacement, possibly Thami Tsolekile, will eventually be called up. Boucher was hit in the eye by a bail after an Imran Tahir delivery struck the stumps on Monday`s opening day of a tour match against Somerset in Taunton. Boucher made his debut for the Proteas as a 20-year-old against Pakistan in Sheikhpura in October 1997. Since then, he has notched up a number of world records, including most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Tests with 555. He also stands on 999 international dismissals in all formats of the game. He scored his first Test century, one of only five in his career, in his 16th Test against the West Indies at The Centurion, in January 1999. In his 38th Test, in March 2001, he became South Africa`s most successful wicketkeeper with his 153rd dismissal against the West Indies in Port of Spain. ANI