AB de Villiers to discuss T20I WC comeback with Boucher
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AB de Villiers wants to play in the T20 World Cup in India later this year, and he plans to talk to Mark Boucher, the national team coach, about it during the IPL. However, he understands that there's a possibility there will be no space for him in the squad.
AB de Villers has been at his imperious best in the IPL thus far. The champion cricketer started off the season with a match-winning 27-ball 48 against defending champions Mumbai Indians.
The ‘Superman’ was once again in his elements on Sunday afternoon as he painted the Chepauk with his 360-degree strokeplay to hammer a whirlwind 34-ball 76*- an innings which included three fours and as many sixes.
De Villiers announced during a post-match interview that he had spoken with Boucher before the last IPL, and that Boucher had asked him if he would be interested in playing for the Proteas again. And all AB de Villiers had to say to his former teammate was, "Absolutely."
"We are lined up to have a chat sometime during the IPL. But yes, we've been talking about it already," de Villiers, who retired from international cricket in May 2018, said after leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore to victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
"Last year, he asked me if I would be interested. And I said, 'absolutely'. And come the end of the IPL, we will have a look at where we are at with regards to my form and my fitness,” said AB.
"Also, the situation with his team - he's got to look at his guys who have been performing well over the last while. If there's no space for me, so be it. If I can slot in there, it will be fantastic if all those things fall in place. Waiting for [the chat with] Bouchy towards the end of the IPL, and we will then plan accordingly" he added.
Boucher had said in February last year, when the T20 World Cup was set to take place in 2020 before being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, that egos will not be allowed to get in the way when it came to the de Villiers event. He had said that de Villiers would be picked if he was "ready and able," and if his participation would strengthen the South African team.
After retiring from all international cricket, de Villiers tried to make a comeback for the 2019 ODI World Cup, but was ignored by the national selectors after the team management refused the superstar's offer. South Africa finished seventh in the ten-team tournament with three wins in eight completed games.
He played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 78 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for South Africa.
