Latest news with #MarkBoucher
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
SA Coach Mark Boucher: 'Youngsters Don't Deserve Chokers Tag But Can't Get...'
Last Updated: South Africa coach Mark Boucher admits the team can't shed the 'chokers' tag until they win an ICC trophy. South Africa coach Mark Boucher has admitted that his team can't get rid of the 'chokers' tag until they win an ICC trophy, irrespective of how unfair it was on the current generation of young cricketers. Boucher, speaking just days ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's, motivated his players by declaring that they were 'in control of their futures at the moment'. South Africa last won a senior men's ICC title in 1998. They are considered one of the best teams to not get their hands on one in this century. Both men's and women's teams have come quite close several times, like losing the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup for both categories to India and New Zealand, respectively. 'We're playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can't win], but I think it's a different feel in Test match cricket," Boucher said. 'It's played over a longer period of time, and you've just got to win big moments in the game as well. Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You're not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving of these youngsters coming through? No, it's almost like they're carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them, but they're the ones in control of their futures at the moment," he added. Their opponents come to London with a contrasting history, not only as the defending champions, but as the side with the most ICC titles in the last two decades. 'Winning WTC could be a turnaround for Test cricket in South Africa' South Africa's journey to the final has been heavily criticised. Though completely out of their control, most of their wins came against weaker opponents like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the two-year cycle included big losses to India and New Zealand. Australia, in comparison, convincingly beat India and New Zealand and still only narrowly made it through. Boucher admitted that but felt that it couldn't take away from the opportunity his team had. 'A lot of people have criticised South Africa, which is not really fair. You play what's in front of you, and with all due respect, the sides that we've played against, we probably should have beaten, and we've done that. So we find ourselves in a final. But I wouldn't say that it has got the crowds going in our country. Everyone's very excited about it now, as the opportunity arises, a lot of people are going to travel over to London, spend all their Rands, and go watch what should be a good match. If we win it, I think that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country," he added. About the Author Cricketnext Staff First Published: June 08, 2025, 08:42 IST
India Today
a day ago
- Sport
- India Today
South Africa's chokers-tag one for the past: Mark Boucher ahead of WTC Final
Former South Africa batter and coach Mark Boucher believes it's time to leave the 'chokers' tag in the past. As the Proteas gear up for the ICC World Test Championship Final against Australia, Boucher said this new-look side should not be burdened by labels tied to past to ESPN, Boucher reflected on South Africa's recent near-misses — most notably their T20 World Cup final loss to India — and stressed that it would be unfair to brand the current squad with a term rooted in playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can't win] but I think it's a different feel in Test match cricket. It's played over a longer period of time and you've just got to win big moments in the game as well,' Boucher told ESPNcricinfo. 'Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You're not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving on these youngsters coming through? No, it's almost like they're carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them but they're the ones in control of their futures at the moment,' he Africa's much-anticipated clash with Pat Cummins' Australia begins on June 11. For Temba Bavuma's men, it presents not just an opportunity to win their first ICC title in over two decades, but also to set a fresh narrative for Test cricket in a nation traditionally known for its white-ball Proteas booked their place in the final with solid performances against the likes of West Indies and Pakistan, while Australia arrive high on confidence after a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph over the stakes high in this ultimate red-ball showdown, all eyes will be on whether South Africa can hold their nerve and finally break free from the shadows of the past.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AMPORTS Launches New Stevedore Operation in Baltimore
Marks a Significant Expansion in East Coast Capabilities BALTIMORE, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMPORTS (or 'the Company'), a leading North American port logistics and auto processing provider, announced the launch of its new stevedore operation at the Atlantic and Chesapeake Terminals in Baltimore, Maryland. Operated through its subsidiary, Red Hook Terminals Maryland, LLC d/b/a Baltimore Port Terminal (BPT), this strategic expansion strengthens AMPORTS' presence on the East Coast and underscores its commitment to delivering seamless, end-to-end supply chain solutions for global automakers and logistics partners. On the first day of operations, AMPORTS successfully handled two vessels—Grimaldi's Grande Luanda and Hoegh's Hoegh London—unloading over 3,000 vehicles. 'This new operation is a major milestone in our integrated service model,' said Mark Boucher, Chief Commercial Officer at AMPORTS. 'Our customers benefit from having a single point of contact from vessel discharge to haulaway handoff. It's all about delivering consistent, high-quality service.' The Baltimore launch follows AMPORTS' successful assumption of stevedore operations at its Benicia, California terminal in November 2024. Just five months later, the Benicia stevedore team unloaded its 100th roll-on, roll-off vessel—NYK's Sakura Leader—demonstrating the team's rapid scaling and operational excellence. With over 30 years of experience in port operations, AMPORTS General Manager John Coleman will lead the Baltimore stevedore team, supporting the Company's next phase of growth with a continued focus on safety, efficiency and customer satisfaction. In January 2025, AMPORTS further expanded its East Coast capabilities by acquiring Red Hook Terminals Maryland, LLC. This acquisition led to AMPORTS becoming a member of the Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore and reinforced the Company's commitment to labor-management collaboration and regional maritime trade. About AMPORTSAMPORTS is one of North America's largest and most versatile port logistics providers, with 13 locations across the United States and Mexico. With over six decades of experience, AMPORTS specializes in port logistics, auto processing, and supply chain solutions to support some of the world's largest businesses. The company is committed to efficiency, quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. For more information, visit For media inquiries, please contact:Ginella DiazCommunications in to access your portfolio
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'There's only one Sachin Tendulkar and there's only one Virat Kohli': Mark Boucher
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. (Photo by) When we talk about Virat Kohli , Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and dressing room stories, one name that immediately comes to mind is AB de Villiers , given the kind of bond they have shared over the years. But last week, everyone was in for a pleasant surprise when Virat Kohli credited former South African wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher for guiding him during the early years of his international and Indian Premier League (IPL) career. "Actually, of all the players I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me," Kohli told the 'RCB Bold Diaries' podcast. The duo spent three years at RCB. In 2008, Mark Boucher saw Kohli's potential and told him he would be doing a disservice to himself if he failed to make it to the senior Indian team. He took a young 20-year-old under his wings, helped him practice during net sessions and become battle-ready for the bouncy tracks in South Africa and Australia. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "I just tried to help him in his development at that particular stage. He had everything in his game. I think the one thing we did talk about was the short ball and how to play the short ball," Boucher said in a conversation on Monday (May 12), the day Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tap Into Real-Time Signals Designed to Support Your Trading Decisions Trader Headline Learn More Undo "I think the short ball is something that a youngster always gets tested with. I told him, 'Virat, because you're so good off the front foot when the ball's straight, they're going to test you on the back foot when you arrive on the international scene. If you play it well, very quickly they'll go away from bowling short at you'. I just said to him, 'if you arrive on South African shores, we would definitely test you on the short ball knowing that you come from the subcontinent.' The rise and rise of India, Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli "'When you go to Australia, they're definitely going to test you on the short ball because you've come from the subcontinent.' I think my conversations were just trying to help him find his next level and making him aware of what other teams would do to him. From there, he took it upon himself." "He said to me, 'Bach, can you help me?' I was like, 'Yes, absolutely.' I went and served a couple of tennis balls at him, showed him one or two little techniques. I just worked on a couple of things, tried to impart a little bit of my knowledge on playing the short ball, especially coming from South Africa where you get tested quite a bit. File photo of former South Africa keeper Mark Boucher. (ANI) "I did say to him one day, it's not a nice exercise to go into a net and have to work on the short ball because sometimes you do get hurt. Sometimes you get one or two balls around the ears, and it's not nice having to go through that and getting hit on the helmet every now and again. But I think this is where his feistiness and his character came through. He was really eager to become a better cricketer. He really enjoyed the challenge of me hitting tennis balls at his head. We Didn't Know: Kohli's Last Red-Ball Nets Before Test Retirement 💔 "We had a laugh, and it was good fun because I think he trusted that it was coming from a good place from my side. I really enjoyed it because here I am working with someone who at that stage I thought could be the next superstar in Indian cricket. He's lived up to that." Boucher vividly remembers the first time he met Virat and how the "feistiness" in a young Delhi lad caught his attention and reminded him of a younger version of himself. "He was, how do I put it, quite an easy person to speak to. He was very open to listening to people who were older than him and probably more experienced than him. He had a bit – it's difficult to say attitude because attitude comes across the wrong way – but he had a character that he was quite feisty and out there. He loved to be competitive, which I really enjoyed about him because I think I was probably similar when I was a youngster," recalls Boucher. "What did stand out was his talent that he had, and if you've got talent and you've got character that comes with it and the feistiness to want to succeed, I think it's always a recipe for success," he adds. A young Virat made the most out of Boucher's experience and their initial conversations continued to revolve around cricket. The former cricketer still remembers the chat they had on the art of playing spin, and how it left a lasting impression on Boucher. "I actually chatted to him a lot about spin bowling and how Indian cricketers play spin bowling to try and pick his brain a bit on how they develop from a very young age and what sort of techniques they have to counter the spinning ball," he says. "I actually remember the conversation that we had, and it went along the lines of, I just said, 'Virat, you're very talented and you're very young.' You've got the IPL ahead of you now. You're probably going to play close to 20 years of IPL cricket. Sachin Tendulkar started off at a very young age as well, and who's to say that you couldn't be the next Sachin Tendulkar?' I didn't know that he was going to take everything this far and sort of create his own legacy." To mention him and Sachin would be doing a disservice to both of them. I think there's only ever one Sachin Tendulkar, and I think there's only ever one Virat Kohli Mark Boucher Over the years, Virat Kohli carried the burden of being the next Sachin Tendulkar but Boucher staunchly believes it is unfair to compare Tendulkar and Kohli. He sums it up with a crisp response: "To mention him and Sachin would be doing a disservice to both of them. I think there's only ever one Sachin Tendulkar, and I think there's only ever one Virat Kohli. Both of them are absolute legends of the game." When it comes to Kohli , a lot of tags have followed him over the years. From being termed arrogant to egoistic, the former India skipper had to deal with a lot of outside noise during his Test career but he managed to deliver the results which were never seen in Indian cricket before. It was under his captaincy that India witnessed a glorious period in Test cricket where they won 40 of the 68 games Kohli led in, losing just 17. The 40 wins made Kohli India's most successful Test captain of all time. File photo of Virat Kohli. (Image credit: X) "When he stepped into the Indian cricket team, the way that he led people, I think sometimes people were saying it was arrogance, but I don't see it as arrogance. I see it as confidence and also a particular guy who's got a little bit of a different attitude to maybe your normal Indian cricketer. He was never going to stand back and be bullied or pushed into a corner by any other cricketer, which is right," says Boucher. "No cricketer should stand back, especially if you're playing for your country. You've earned the right to play for your country, and so has the individual on the other end. There should never be a situation where you feel like you need to be undermined by the opposition. If you can take it, you can give it back. If you give it, you must be able to take it as well. I think Virat was very much like that," he adds. Boucher further explains how that Virat inspired the current generation of cricketers with his "in your face" attitude. The feistiness, fitness and overall dedication have been hallmarks of Kohli's career and it has rubbed off on the future players as well. Poll What aspect of Virat Kohli's career do you admire the most? His competitive spirit His fitness regime His leadership qualities His batting skills "Certainly, he started what the younger generation is now living through as well. They don't stand back for anyone. They're very aggressive. They're in your face. There's a line for everything. You don't want to cross the line or the legality of the game. "But certainly, they go out there, and they don't feel intimidated by anyone. Where maybe in the past, before the Kohli era, maybe there was a little bit of intimidation that crept in. He certainly changed that and changed the way that any young Indian cricketer being brought up in today's world, they're a lot tougher." Virat Kohli drops retirement bombshell | Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket Kohli and his old friend "Bach" continue to be in touch after all these years but the conversations have now moved on from short-pitch bowling to family and fatherhood.
News24
08-05-2025
- Sport
- News24
Lasting impact: Virat Kohli credits Mark Boucher's impact in early RCB days
Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli said former Proteas star Mark Boucher had the biggest impact in his debut Indian Premier League season in 2008. Reflecting on Boucher's influence, Kohli appreciated the South African taking his time to work on his game to help him adjust to the demands of international cricket. Kolhi, who has been with RCB for 17 years, is leading their charge for a maiden IPL title. For more IPL news, please visit News24's dedicated section. India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Virat Kohli has credited former Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for the influence he had on him during the formative years of his career. Kohli, who is celebrating 17 years at RCB, spoke to the franchise's official podcast on YouTube about his time with them since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. The IPL changed the landscape of cricket in India and the rest of the world as it had homegrown stars mixed with an influx of international players. RCB local stars in the inaugural season included Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer, Zaheer Khan, and Anil Kumble with the likes of Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor and Dale Steyn filling the international spaces. As Kohli was a rookie at the time, he was nervous about being in the presence of his Indian heroes but was unsure as to what to expect of the internationals in the RCB changing room. Looking back at his debut IPL season with the franchise in 2008, Kohli put into perspective the impact of these senior players at the beginning of his career, with Boucher standing out. 'Actually, out of all the players that I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me as a young kid,' he said. 'He was the only guy I saw who came in with the mindset 'I'm going to help the young players', and he saw me play and saw a bit of potential. He figured out what my weaknesses could be if I wanted to go to the next level; this is what I need to do without me asking. 'He said, 'I've seen you play; we need to work on this and that and a couple more things'. So, he took me to the nets and said, ' 'You need to work on the short ball, no one is going to give you a chance in international cricket if you can't pull the ball'. 'He was hitting these tennis balls at me at a quick pace, and I said, 'If this is what's going to take [to make it in international cricket], I don't think I'll make it to the next level'. He really kept at it, and I started becoming better,' Kohli said. READ | He added the honest conversations he got from Boucher pushed him. 'I remember it was a game we were playing in Kolkata or Chennai, he told me, 'When I come back to commentate in India in three or four years from now, if I don't see you playing for India, you would have done a disservice to yourself'. 'He stunned me with the conversation we had, and that pushed me in a direction where I said, 'I need to start looking at how I can become better'. He had a massive impact on me in those early years.' The net sessions with Boucher planted the seed of hard work and determination in Kohli that's seen him go on to become one of the world's best batters. 'I was very realistic about my abilities because I had seen a lot of other people play and I did not feel like my game was close to theirs,' said Kohli. 'The only thing I had was the determination and if I wanted to make my team win, I was willing to do anything and that was the very reason I got the chance to play for India initially. 'I was never looked at as this outright game-winner who can change the game from everywhere, but I had this thing of 'I'm going to stay in the fight, I'm never going to give up'. 'That very thing that God blessed me with helped me to improve my game, technique and everything. I'm never shy to admit that I was not the most technically sound or naturally gifted player; I evolved a lot while I was playing because I was very keen to learn and get better,' he said.
