AB de Villiers recalls last minute attempt to come out of retirement

AB de Villiers recalls last minute attempt to come out of retirement

Former Proteas batsman AB de Villiers has explained his decision to attempt to rejoin the SA cricket national team ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

The 39-year-old retired from international cricket back in 2018, just a year before the World Cup.

De Villiers opens up about 2015 World Cup

His retirement left many fans confused and numerous attempts from Cricket SA were made to influence his decision but the star refused to rejoin the team.

A day before the Proteas World Cup squad was announced, de Villiers reportdely asked then captain Faf du Plessis if he could rejoin the squad.

“I volunteered for the 2019 World Cup, believing I was in peak form. I apologized to Faf, admitting it was selfish, but offered to step in if someone was out of form and a spot opened up. Unfortunately, it backfired, and I faced criticism. People called me all sorts of names,” he said on his Youtube channel.

De Villiers also spoke about the 2015 World Cup where the Proteas were eliminated by New Zealand in the semi-final.

“I faced difficulties later in my career because I didn’t express my feelings adequately. After the 2015 World Cup loss, I wanted to take a break due to the disappointment and lack of fulfillment. The communication was lacking, affecting my international career for a few years.”

“It’s challenging when other players are putting in hard work for South Africa in series against India. They dedicated themselves, and then I, as an outsider, said, ‘Wait, I’m ready again.’ I also experienced that situation,” De Villers said.

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