JOHANESBURG: South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will undergo surgery after suffering a cut to his left eyeball in a warm-up match against Somerset in Taunton on Monday.

Boucher was injured when a delivery from leg-spinner Imran Tahir flicked the bail into his face, forcing the 35-year-old off the field with blood coming from his eye.

"Mark suffered a laceration to the sclera of his left eye," team manager Mohammad Moosajee told the Cricket South Africa website (www.cricket.co.za).

"He will undergo emergency exploratory surgery in the next few hours, after which the ophthalmologist will be able to determine the extent of the damage," said Moosajee, adding that the appointment was scheduled for 1800 local time (1700 GMT).

Boucher, who was replaced by AB de Villiers behind the stumps, could be a doubt for the three-match test series against top-ranked England starting on July 19 at The Oval in London. AGENCIES