AB de Villiers to take a call on his cricket future in August

AB de Villiers was the top scorer for South Africa in recently concluded series against England

What’s the story?

South African skipper AB de Villiers is set to meet with Cricket South Africa in August to discuss his international cricket future. He says that he will make a final and detailed decision with the CSA in this meeting.

"We will see what works for both parties. We are not going to pick and choose games, but we are going to make a final decision about what happens for the next few years,” the 33-year-old quipped. 

South Africa lost the T20I series 2-1 to England in the final match of the series yesterday and the veteran divulged to the reporters about his meeting with the CSA in his post-match press conference in Cardiff.

In case you didn’t know...

AB de Villiers is one of the best batsmen in the world right now and a mainstay of the South African batting order. With the 2019 ICC World Cup inching closer with every series, taking a call on the future of every player is not just important but also essential. 

He had taken a break from Test cricket a few months back, saying that he wants to choose well so as to sustain his fitness levels till he leads his team to the big tournament. 

The details

De Villiers expressed that his biggest cricketing dream has always been to win the World Cup for his nation. He said that he wants to be a part of the Word Cup-winning team, one way or the another. 

He also revealed that he does not know what the future holds for him right now, and hopes to find answers in his meeting with CSA, which is scheduled to take place in August. 

What’s next?

The last bilateral series between Bangladesh and South Africa was played back in 2015

Bangladesh will tour South Africa in the latter part of the year. The two teams will compete in two Tests, two ODIs and two T20Is. De Villiers says that he will be gearing up for the tour and hopes to be ready when the Mashrafe Mortaza-led team arrives in September. 

Author’s take

There is no replacement for De Villiers in the South African circuit right now. In fact, there is no replacement for him in world cricket right now. His batting capability is not something that needs to be questioned and his fielding hasn’t dropped one bit even after moving into the 30s.

If he can maintain his fitness levels, he can not only be a part of the South African team that goes to the World Cup in 2019 but also lead it as its skipper.