Open to having talks with AB de Villiers regarding South Africa return, reveals Mark Boucher
Newly appointed coach Mark Boucher has revealed that he is open to the idea of reaching out to AB de Villiers and having discussions with him regarding a potential international return. De Villiers last played for South Africa in March 2018, after which he announced his international retirement.
One of the biggest talking points prior to the 2019 World Cup was the potential return of one of their superstar cricketers AB de Villiers, who had quit international cricket in early 2018 to focus on playing franchise cricket. Mid-way through the tournament, there were reports that emerged that it was indeed South Africa who said āNoā to de Villiers after the latter reached out to them, but since the incident, there have been several contradicting reports that have supported either side of the story.Ā
And now, with the World T20 in Australia less than a year away, unsurprisingly, theĀ āAB to make a comebackā topic has come to the fore yet again, and the Proteasā newly-appointed head coach Mark Boucher has come forward and stated that heās open to having discussions with the now 35-year-old de Villiers regarding a comeback to international cricket.
"When you go to a World Cup, you want your best players playing for you. If I feel he is one of your best players, why wouldn't I want to have a conversation with him? I've only just got into the job, I might have conversations with quite a few players and see where they are," Boucher was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Boucher also said that if need be, he would be ready to reconcile with both the media and players for the greater good of the country heading into the WT20 next year.
"You want your best players playing in the World Cup and if there's a couple of issues you need to iron out, with media, with team-mates, and if it's for the good of South Africa, why not, let's do it," the former South African wicket-keeper said.
Over the course of the last couple of years, several exceptionally talented South African cricketers - Kyle Abbot, Duanne Olivier, Simon Harmer, Rilee Roussouw - have opted for Kolpak deals and effectively ended their international careers. The current system does not allow the board to pick players who have pledged their loyalties to English counties, but Boucher is open to the idea of having the option to call-up Kolpak-contracted players to the national team.
"If I can answer from a coach's perspective, absolutely. If you look at rugby, the way the Springboks won the World Cup, the experience they got from players playing overseas was invaluable," Boucher said.
"From a coach's perspective, I'd love to have the opportunity to deepen and strengthen the squad. It will keep everyone on their toes and will bring more excellence into the game in this country," the 43-year-old concluded.