Mark Boucher, a South African great and record-holding wicketkeeper, has been appointed the head coach of the Mumbai Indians beginning with IPL 2023.
The appointment occurs barely four days after Boucher made his resignation as Proteas coach effective after the T20 World Cup official. After South Africa lost the 2-1 Test series to England at the Oval in London the previous day, Boucher made his plans apparent.
In spite of his excellence at keeping wickets, Boucher has demonstrated that he is a crucial component of South Africa’s success at the mark. He made 125 runs against Zimbabwe in Harare in 1999, setting the record for the most runs scored by a night watchman in a Test match. He was a 1991 Wisden Cricketer of the Year finalist and has had three nominations for South African Cricketer of the Year.
He has a few notable records, including the fact that during his whole international T20 cricket career, he has never been dismissed for a duck. Boucher played a significant role in South Africa’s development into one of the greatest Test sides in history. He also served as the team’s vice-captain, giving the group much-needed support.
Mr. Akash. M. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm, said “It’s a pleasure to welcome Mark Boucher to Mumbai Indians. With his proven expertise on the field and off it as a coach guiding his team to numerous victories, Mark will add immense value to MI and take forward its legacy.”
Mark Boucher post appointment reaction
Boucher said of the Mumbai Indians in a statement on Cricinfo: “Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful sporting franchises in all of world sport.I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players. I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit.”
Mr. Mark Boucher, Head Coach, Mumbai Indians said, “It is an honor and privilege to be appointed as Head Coach of MI. Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful sporting franchises in all of world sports. I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players. I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit.”
Cricket SA said of Boucher: “has decided to resign in order to pursue other opportunities in line with his future career and personal objectives”. “We would like to thank Mark for the time and effort he has invested in South African cricket as the head coach over the past three years,” CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki said.
Boucher replaces Mahaela Jayawardene, the legendary Sri Lankan who stepped down from his position as head coach of the Mumbai Indians to take on a wider role as their global head of performance. In this role, he will work with their satellite franchises, including the SA20 franchise MI Cape Town and the MI Emirates in the UAE.
As the Titans’ coach, Boucher enjoyed a prosperous tenure on the local stage and guided the team to five domestic championships. Boucher has won 11 tests, 12 ODIs, and 23 T20 International matches since taking over the Proteas in 2019.
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