OPINION: AB de Villiers should still be playing regular T20 cricket
AB de Villiers in action here in one of his last matches for his country. Picture: Richard Huggard/Form is temporary, but class is permanent.
This is an age-old cliche that gets thrown around in sport – sometimes too often for my liking – but in this case, there is no better phrase.
South Africa's AB de Villiers may have retired from international cricket almost a decade ago – he called time on T20 internationals in 2017 – but the 41-year-old has shown he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the world.
At the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament being held in England, Mr 360 has made all the bowlers that have come before him look like average club cricketers.
After a slow start to the tournament where he made only three runs against the West Indies, De Villiers has gone on to post scores that validate his spot in the ICC Hall of Fame.
An unbeaten 61 off 30 balls against India, 116 not out off 51 against England and 123 off 46 against Australia shows there is still a spot for him in any franchise team around the world.
Come on, get AB playing again
Yes, the opposition he has bludgeoned to all parts of the ground may be past their prime, but it has been the manner in which he has gone about his work that has been beyond impressive.
If I was a chairman of any T20 franchise – be it the SA20, Indian Premier League or Australia's Big Bash – I would be on the phone to De Villiers, making him an offer he could not refuse.
The joys of the modern day T20 game means he could play purely as an impact player, meaning he just has to bat and after that he can put his feet up and enjoy watching the game he clearly still has a deep love for.
His vision and power is still second to none and throw in the fact that he remains as fit as anyone currently playing competitive cricket and this decision should be a no-brainer.
A guy like India's MS Dhoni is 44 and he is still raking in the big bucks in the IPL.
So why not AB?
Come on bigwigs of franchise cricket, give AB a call and give him a contract so the lovers of the game can enjoy watching him play for a few more years.
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Mail & Guardian
6 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
The Proteas' legendary fire reignited
AB de Villiers lifted the WCL trophy after South Africa's nine-wicket win against Pakistan at Edgbaston. On Saturday 2 August, the South Africa Champions crushed the Pakistan Champions to win the World Championship of Legends (WCL) by 9 wickets. After a close victory by one run against the Australian Champions, the final saw the South Africa Champions win easily due to the impressive batting display of JP Duminy's 50* and AB de Villiers's 120*. The WCL is a T20 tournament which pits past players of each country against one another. While the cricketers are no longer in their prime years, they retain a number of skills which demonstrate why they represented their country. The tournament was marred by a conflict extending beyond the boundary in the form of tension between India and Pakistan, due to geopolitical friction as a result of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in India. 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This loss continued the legacy of South Africans performing well — until the end of a tournament. Following a two-decade boycott by international cricket, in the 1992 World Cup, the rain-rule prevented South Africa from advancing to the finals. Seven years later, in the 1999 World Cup, the Proteas needed to score one run off the last three balls of the innings when a miscommunication led to Alan Donald being run out, tying the game and allowing Australia to reach the finals due to their superior run rate. There were six players from the 2015 squad who were also part of the WCL team: De Villiers, Aaron Phangiso, Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Jean-Paul Duminy and Wayne Parnell. The players experienced the devastating loss firsthand. Cricketing fans love to watch the sport as a narrative. The contests tend to create stories which fans can become enthralled with. 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During the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup, the players used the term 'Protea fire' to show their passion for the team and fighting to win the trophy. This term has continued to be used over the years, but the momentum it carried before South Africa's exit in the semifinals had diminished it. The victory might not fully heal the pain that was experienced in 2015, but it has certainly helped to restore some of the Protea fire that was extinguished a decade ago. Craig Thrupp is philosophy PhD graduate and educator who is passionate about sport and the spirit of the game.
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a day ago
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