AB to stay in international retirement as Proteas name touring squads

Cricket South Africa (CSA) ended speculation over AB de Villiers’s inclusion in the team for the T20I World Cup, scheduled for India later in 2021, with one curt sentence this week.

“Discussions with AB de Villiers have concluded with the batsman deciding once and for all that his retirement will remain final,” it said in a media release.

CSA had just named their Test and white ball squads for tours to the West Indies and Ireland, and sensibly nipped any more De Villiers speculation in the bud.

There it is then. The greatest batting talent in several generations will not make a heroic return from the wilderness to help his country finally claim an elusive World Cup title. Despite his recent form, it was always a long shot that he would make a comeback.

The Proteas hierarchy, including coach Mark Boucher, convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang and director of cricket Graeme Smith all spoke to De Villiers, but none tried to force his hand.

In truth, speculation about De Villiers’s possible return grew from his performances in the IPL rather than the great man’s personal desire to return.

It quickly became apparent from conversations that despite his form and obvious ability that would have made it easy to pick him, De Villiers was hesitant to come back after retiring from international cricket nearly three years ago.

And it’s easy to understand why. Recent leadership issues at CSA have polarised the sport and if, as a 38-year-old, De Villiers was chosen for the Proteas and somehow failed to deliver, he would be an easy target for critics. It just wasn’t worth it for his legacy and, vitally, his mental state.

De Villiers makes a fortune in the IPL, so a return would never have been about money. He played his peak years for the Proteas and was captain at the 2015 One-Day International (ODI) World Cup where South Africa suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to New Zealand.

He has never fully recovered from that four-wicket defeat where New Zealand scored the winning runs off the last ball of the match. The Proteas dropped two crucial catches and missed three run-out chances. The mental anguish he endured afterwards has left scars. To go through that again, especially if he was parachuted into the current ailing Proteas squad as some sort of saviour, would have been unfair.

“That (2015 semifinal loss) really wore me down, but I kept playing, I tried to bite the bullet, I tried to be there. I was batting really well. I still have incredible friendships and memories,” De Villiers said during a Cricbuzz in Conversation show in mid-2020, hosted by renowned Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle.

“From a personal point of view, yeah it (losing the 2015 semifinal) played a huge role (in retirement),” De Villiers told Bhogle. “We got beaten by sport on the night and it was actually a beautiful thing but it was difficult for me to get through that year and to specifically meet up with the team again a few months later, having to go again.

“Here we go again, we have to restart, but I am like, hold on, I am not over this World Cup. It hurt too much. So yes, I am sensitive and those kinds of things play a huge role in how I feel and my ambitions.

“The next 12 months were really tough for me. Maybe I should’ve been more honest about it when I look back and communicated about it. I felt like I was a little bit alone at the time, but it’s silly to say that you’re alone if you don’t seek help, if you don’t talk about it.”

No Faf either

Faf du Plessis wants to pursue a career as a freelance white ball player. (Photo: Samuel Shivambu / BackpagePix)

Prenelan Subrayen of the Dolphins takes the catch for the wicket of Delano Potgieter of the Lions during the Momentum One-Day Cup Final between Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Imperial Lions (Reserve Day) at Senwes Park on February 5 2021 in Potchefstroom. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)