The Great Gamble
There was a time, not too long ago, when the mere mention of money was anathema in sports ~ professionals were allowed in Wimbledon for the first time in 1968, and in the Olympics only from 1988.
South African batting legend AB de Villiers on Tuesday stated that he efforts are being made to ensure that he somehow makes a comeback in the national team for the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia later this year. De Villiers stated that his IPL form would be pivotal to his plans of making a comeback to the national team.
AB even stated he would love making a comeback two years after he decided to retire from International Cricket. De Villiers is currently featuring in the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat.
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“I would love to. I’ve been talking to ‘Bouch’ (new South Africa coach Mark Boucher), (new director of cricket) Graeme Smith and (captain) Faf (du Plessis) back home, we’re all keen to make it happen,” he told Cricket Australia’s official website.
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“It’s a long way away still, and plenty can happen there’s the IPL coming up, I’ve still got to be in form at that time. So I’m thinking of throwing my name in the hat and hoping that everything will work out,” he added.
However, he admitted that he should be realistic about his expectations and goals.
“It’s not a guarantee, once again. I don’t want to disappoint myself or other people, so for now I’m just going to try and keep a low profile, try and play the best possible cricket that I can and then see what happens towards the end of the year,” he said.
“There are a lot of players (involved with CSA) who I used to play with. Guys who understand the game, leaders of the team for many years” he said of the present dispensation.
“So it’s much easier to communicate than what it used to be in the past. They understand what players go through especially players that have played for 15 years internationally.
“It doesn’t mean that everything is going to be sunshine and roses, but it’s definitely a lot easier and it feels comfortable, the language that’s being used and just the feel that everyone has at the moment in South Africa about the cricket,” he concluded.
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