"Doctor said I was literally a bump away from losing my eye" - AB de Villiers on playing with retinal detachment in right eye
Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers recently made a shocking revelation that he played for almost two years with a retinal detachment in his right eye.
It was De Villiers' elder son, who, by accident, hit his heel on his father's right eye. The former cricketer also shed light on how blurry it got for him while viewing from his right eye and how lucky he was not to lose his right eye permanently.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about his experience playing in the IPL with such a problem (10:50):
"I lost a bit of consistency that I had in my career (during IPL 2021 season due to retinal detachment). I had some magic moments but the last couple of seasons I was a bit up and down with my form. Thankfully I didn't get hit by a ball because the doctor said I was literally a bump away from losing my eye. So thank goodness (laughs)."
AB de Villiers on rumors of Faf du Plessis playing T20 World Cup 2024
AB de Villiers is delighted to hear that there is a chance that former South African captain Faf du Plessis could return to the national team for the T20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies and the USA next year.
De Villiers spoke about just how different the atmosphere seems to be in the current South African team management than what it was during the twilight of his international career. He stated (12:34):
"It's really exciting, not just for Faf, but for other senior players as well. Coach Rob Walter has said that all cricketers, even those not in the team or system, will be looked at as long as they put their hands up and play the necessary games, showing the necessary urgency.
"It's open-mindedness which wasn't there when I was playing. It's a shame but I love seeing coaches who come in and say, 'You know what, we want to win the World Cup. We don't want to just compete.'"
If the likes of Du Plessis and Quinton de Kock are available for the T20 World Cup, it could exponentially increase South Africa's chances of ending their ICC trophy drought.