Iāll come for 2023 World Cup if MS Dhoni is still there, says AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers has cheekily stated that he will return for the 2023 World Cup if MS Dhoni would still be playing then. The former South African skipper was expected to feature in the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales but he made a sudden announcement to retire in May last year.
There is no doubt in the fact that AB de Villiers is one among the greatest batsmen of this era. He gave cricket what is known as "360 degree" batting and has the records of the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in ODI cricket. After the heartbreak for South Africa in the 2015 World Cup, the then skipper was expected to feature in the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales, starting May 30. However, he made a sudden announcement to retire just four days after theĀ 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League. De Villiers had hanged up his boots after scoring 8765 runs in 114 Tests and 9577 runs in 228 ODIs. He has now cheekily stated that he will make a return to the 2023 edition of the marquee event if MS Dhoni would still be playing.
"How old will I be (in 2023)? 39! I'll come back if MS (Dhoni) is still around (laughs). If I'm still good enough, who knows eh? I was keen to play the World Cup (2019) but I retired, so it was a very sensitive situation. For the last 3 years of my career, I was labeled as a guy who was picking and choosing when I was playing and when not,ā said de Villiers on Gaurav Kapurās Youtube show 'Breakfast with Championsā.
De Villiers featured only in eight Tests, 12 ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals for South Africa in his final 12 months as an international cricketer. Due to his fitness issues, he was selectively playing few matches which was not taken very well by few of his critics. The Titans' player opened up as to how that had an effect on his retirement.
"So I got quite a lot of criticism from back home which also played a role in me retiring. And it was difficult for me to then go: 'Hey, but I'll still play the World Cup'. You know, it's the picking and choosing thing again. And it's quite arrogant to do something like that. But as they say, you can't have your bread buttered on both sides," the 35-year-old explained.
"I've always been about the team. It's never been about myself. But I found myself in a position where I had to make a decision where it's going to look like I'm thinking about just myself. There's a lot of reasons I had to move on. There's a lot of things that played a role. Family is definitely a big part of it. The longevity of, like, I mean I've played for 15 years. I was just tired of the whole international scene. It's quite busy, very stressful. The mental games, the doubts you have as a person, as a player all the time, it wears you down. And being captain of the Proteas for a long time also took its toll you know."
Mr.360, as he is fondly called due to his ability to hit shots all around the ground, also reiterated the fact that he will always miss playing for his nation. De Villiers has amassed 3755 runs in 117 innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2011 at a strike rate of 159.17 and has a huge fan-following in Bengaluru due to his exploits for the side. His camaraderie with his teammate Virat Kohli is well-known and he even spilled some beans on his relationship with the RCB skipper.
"And then there are a few deeper issues that might have to be discussed when I'm 50 one day (laughs). There's a part of me that'll always miss it. I mean, I had so much fun. It's everything that goes with it. I wish I could push on longer but like I said at the start I had a great run and more dreams came true than I could ever imagine. And there was lots of heartbreaks as well along the way. And that's the great ride that we all go through," reckoned the former South African batsman
"When I realize, guys like him, who are so 'big' in India, but I see them enjoying the small things in life which is what it's all about and it's important. And they find time for other people, which is so difficult with their lives. I'm scared of saying anything to him now. Because if I say 'Oh, I like your shoes', the next minute he organizes me those shoes. I'm like 'Virat, just stop it'. He looks after everyone. I told him I like coffee the other day. Now I'm getting an espresso machine he's ordered on Amazon. It's being delivered tomorrow."
