5 most influential wicket-keepers of the modern era

#2 Mark Boucher

With a record 998 dismissals to his name across all three formats, Mark Boucher is the most prolific wicket-taker in the history of international cricket. The South African fell short of two significant records when he a freak injury brought an end to his career. Otherwise, he could have become the first gloveman to take 1000 catches in international cricket and play 150 Tests as well.

Mark Boucher's legacy is much more than his statistics. In his 15-year long career, he kept wickets to some of the fiercest fast bowlers of all time. During the early days of his career, he stood behind the wickets to the likes of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald before combining with the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

Boucher effected a record 555 dismissals in his Test career, 424 dismissals in ODI cricket and 19 dismissals in the shortest format. He was the epitome of athleticism behind the wickets. Even though he also scored over 10,000 runs across all formats combined, his batting was often criticized. It is worth remembering that at the time of his debut, wicket-keepers were selected only on the basis of their skills behind the stumps. In such regard, there has not been anyone better.