AB de Villiers of Tshwane Spartans during the Mzansi Super League match between Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans at PPC Newlands on November 16, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images)
Just a few weeks after he said the door was closed, AB de Villiers’ return to international cricket is seemingly a possibility again.
Upon his return from a successful tour of Australia, Proteas captain Faf du Plessis on Monday pretty much failed to totally quell such a rumour.
“AB would be the guy to change his mind. It was his decision to retire, so if he had a change of heart then by the Pakistan series (in the new year) we would like to be picking our best team by then,” he was quoted as saying by Sport24.
Last month, De Villiers responded to miscommunication with an Indian talk show trumpeting his return by stating: “There’s no comeback. It would be very selfish and arrogant of me to throw around statements that I’m still keen to play a World Cup. No-one is that good that they can just walk back into a national team.”
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Yet Du Plessis cited the example of Victor Matfield’s unexpected return to competitive rugby in 2014 after a two-year absence, when then coach Heyneke Meyer specifically earmarked him for the 2015 World Cup.
“Victor retired from international rugby and he came back and I suppose nobody would have ever thought he would come back,” said the Proteas skipper.
“AB is a world class player, but it was AB’s decision to retire and if he wanted to come back it would have to be a discussion, but it’s obviously his decision. It won’t be a decision from the team.”
Du Plessis did admit that De Villiers had been previously emphatic about his decision to retire.
“He made it pretty clear in the conversations that I’ve had with him that he was done with international cricket and he was very convincing even when I was trying to find a way to change his mind.”
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