AB taking a break from Tests
Proteas stalwart AB de Villiers has ruled himself out of the New Zealand Test series as he looks to prolong his career with an eye on the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
De Villiers has spent a couple of months on the side-lines recuperating from an elbow injury that eventually required surgery. The regular ODI skipper has had an enormous workload over the past few years and it is hardly surprising that he has finally had a lengthy pit stop.
He was expected to be fit for the upcoming Test series with New Zealand in the land of the long white cloud, but De Villiers has decided not to play the longer format of the game in an effort to reduce his workload.
While he is taking a step away from the 5-day game, De Villiers made it clear that he was not retiring from Test cricket just yet.
“Not yet – I’m not there yet. I need a bit of time just to settle things in my head. Over the last few years, something that has come to mind is the fact that we haven’t won a World Cup yet and I think we all know that,” De Villiers said this week.
“For me to make it to the 2019 World Cup means I can’t play every series of every format for the next few years. So I’ve made myself unavailable for the New Zealand Test series but I will be there for the ODIs for the rest of the year.
“I’m definitely not retiring from Test cricket - that is for sure. I still plan to come back at some stage. But for me, for now, the most important thing is the 2019 World Cup. I want to make sure I get there and make sure we lift the trophy. That’s the first goal for me.”
De Villiers has juggled a hectic schedule for the past few seasons. He’s been a superstar of the Indian Premier League in between his pivotal role within the Proteas setup – not to mention dabbling in a bit of Caribbean Premier League .
His batting average sits above 50 in both Tests and ODIs – a monumental feat considering he’s played 106 Tests and 206 ODIs for South Africa.
All things considered, De Villiers has played a lot of cricket in his 12 year career. But notably missing from his career of highs and low is a World Cup winners medal and De Villiers is determined to make sure he is at his best to give it one final shot.
“The main reason is the World Cup and I feel that if I play all the formats all the time, mentally and physically I won’t be at my best when it comes down to that big moment in my career.”
It must be said the Proteas Test side seems to be in a really healthy space and De Villiers’ absence isn’t as noticeable as it would have been a couple of years ago. However the Proteas will be happy to have him back in the lead up to the Champions Trophy in England in June.
Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat hopes De Villiers will be back to his best for the competition.
“By the time we get to looking at England and the Champions Trophy, he’ll be fully fit and raring to go. He’s appetite would have returned because he would have had a fair amount rest. I know family circumstances change people, having children and being home for a while will make him very relaxed. I’m confident that England is the kind of series that he would want to be available for,” Lorgat said.
The Proteas still have plenty of cricket left to play at home before they tour New Zealand. The first of three T20 against Sri Lanka get underway on Friday at Supersport Park in Centurion on Friday.