Big Bash League: Brisbane Heat star recruit AB de Villiers doesn’t rule out South Africa limited-overs return
Could AB de Villiers be on a reconnaissance mission for South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year? The Proteas legend indicated his international days may not be over just yet.
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South African great AB de Villiers has revealed the barrier to resuming a decorated Test journey and the terms of his World Twenty20 comeback in Australia.
De Villiers revealed he would still be playing Tests if not required to play 11 months of the year while the nation’s previous national structure contributed to his retirement in May 2018.
If de Villiers was to extend a 114-Test, 8765-run odyssey, the 35-year-old would want no dilution of the hard cricket that saw England keeper Jos Buttler fined 15 per cent of his match fee for a tirade against Proteas tail-ender Vernon Philander in Cape Town this month.
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De Villiers – a conspicuous absentee in the Proteas disastrous 2019 World Cup campaign – won’t rule out a 50-over return but is 99 per cent against continuing in the long format.
“Watching some of the South Africa Test matches in December at home I was definitely feeling like ‘oh, it would be really nice to be out there’, but things have changed in my life and unfortunately this is the situation I am stuck with at the moment,” said de Villiers with the Proteas currently hosting England for Test and limited-overs series.
“I don’t want to play for 11 or 12 months of the year any more. It is just too much.
“So ODI’s I wouldn’t be completely out but Test matches I think is pretty much done.”
De Villiers had two months to nut out an international comeback with Proteas and Spartan coach Mark Boucher in South Africa’s Manzi Super League before joining Brisbane Heat.
The installation of long-term Proteas teammates Boucher, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis as national coach, director and batting consultant caused de Villiers to consider an international revival.
Helping South Africa to end its limited-overs World Cup torment here in October is a carrot too good to refuse for de Villiers who averages 37 over 306 T20 matches.
“I would love to play, that was never the problem, it is an honour to play for your country. We have had some discussions with Mark Boucher,” de Villiers said.
“We have played quite a few years together. He would like to have me involved and I would love to be involved, I will have to score some runs and stay fit and see what happens.”
The golden wisdom of de Villiers could offer a rebuilding South African side was underlined in Adelaide on Friday night. Strikers opener Phil Salt used a chat with the Proteas legend to blast a watershed knock after struggling to ignite this season.
Having made seven in Tuesday night’s loss in Brisbane, Salt responded with an unconquered 68 in 37 balls during Adelaide’s 10 wicket win against de Villiers’ Heat.
De Villiers said he told Englishman Salt, who made one previous half century this season, to simply go out and ‘do what works for him’ and not be consumed by white noise.
Originally published as Big Bash League: Brisbane Heat star recruit AB de Villiers doesn’t rule out South Africa limited-overs return
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