CSA
Faf du Plessis set to make South Africa T20I return
|| CF DESK ||
Veteran left-handed batter Faf du Plessis hinted that he was thinking to make a comeback to national colours, however, he stated that he would most likely return to the T20 side.
South African white-ball coach, Rob Walter has spoken with Faf du Plessis about possibly reviving the 38-year-old’s international career.
“I’m very grateful that the new coach has reached out to tell me that he would like me to be a part (of the team). At the moment, it’s just conversations to talk about where I’m at physically,” said Du Plessis.
“I’ve been struggling with a tennis elbow for about a year now. I’ve had some injections into that… It’s a conversation where I feel like you got to look at the balance of where I’m at physically, emotionally, and mentally. Right now, that balance is really good,” he added.
Former Proteas captain admitted that the 50-over game will increase his workload so he preferred to represent South Africa in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup to be held in West Indies and the United States.
“50-over cricket is a different story. Obviously, it’s a longer format. You’re on the field a lot more… We’ll cross that bridge after the IPL, moving into the latter part of the year,”
“More than anything, we’ve spoken about the T20 World Cup next year in July, which is something we both want to make happen. That will be the focus point, he added.”
Du Plessis retired from Test cricket two years ago, but is still available for ODI and T20I selection. He was overlooked for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup squads by the Proteas selectors despite excelling in T20 leagues around the world.