AB de Villiers is a part of South Africa’s team selection discussion and is in line for making a possible return to international cricket according to head coach Mark Boucher.
Speaking on a zoom press conference, Mark Boucher also said, that his comeback would have happened earlier, but the inevitable was delayed by Covid-19 induced break. After playing 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for the Proteas, AB De Villiers had called it a day.
AB de Villiers Always In Reckoning To Make International Comeback: Mark Boucher
South African coach Mark Boucher mentioned that the former South African batting mainstay is still a part of the discussion regarding the selection process and is in line for a possible return to international cricket after having bid adieu in 2018.
AB de Villiers is reputed for his range and variety of shots and has scored more than 8500 runs in both tests and ODIs averaging over 50 in both formats. He has 22 Test and 25 ODI tons. The 36-year-old batsman also can keep wickets, if required, retired in 2018.
There were also reports of AB De Villiers coming back to the national fold for the 2019 World Cup, but that did not happen eventually as South Africa had a terrible tournament winning only three matches while losing five and were placed 7th which resulted in their elimination.
“AB was in discussions before Covid, he is always in discussions when he is playing good cricket, to be honest with you,” Boucher said.
“Going forward I haven’t had a discussion with him at all, he has been playing in the IPL. He had a very good IPL too,” added Mark Boucher.
He scored 454 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore this year in 15 games averaging 45.4 and was one of the most consistent batsmen for the team once again. But despite that, his team could only finish on the fourth spot in the tournament losing to SunRisers Hyderabad in Eliminator.
Mark Boucher Says He Didn’t Know That He Contracted The Virus And Was Fortunate Enough To Have A Mild Dose
Earlier, an unnamed South African player tested positive for Covid-19 when the South Africans assembled Wednesday for training on the eve of limited-overs series against England. He and two others, with whom the infected player had come in close contact, have been separated and isolated from the rest of the squad and will stay so while being monitored by the team’s medical staff.
According to a statement from Cricket South Africa, all three were asymptomatic to the virus. Mark Boucher said he sympathized with the affected players.
“Sitting alone in a room for six or seven days is very tough,” said Boucher, adding that he had been fortunate to have had a mild dose of the disease.
“I didn’t even know I had it,” he said. “I felt a little down for one or two days. I had been throwing down to some players in the nets and felt some aches and pains.”
Several players like Kagiso Rabada, Faf Du Plessis, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi who have played IPL 2020 are in T20I and ODI squad led by Quinton de Kock. South Africa and England will play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is in the African nation. England’s Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are rested for ODI series, but included in the T20I squad.