No international return for AB de Villiers

Johannesburg: He is known the world over as ‘ABD’. He is seen playing T20 formats in various parts of the world for different franchises. However, the South African fans want to see the ‘360 degree player’ in national colours. However, that looks very unlikely in case of AB de Villiers. Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced Tuesday that AB de Villiers won’t be coming out of international retirement ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in India. CSA said that De Villiers has decided ‘once and for all’ that his mind will not change.

CSA said that ‘discussions with AB de Villiers have concluded with the batsman deciding that his retirement will remain final’. The statement was reportedly made after CSA announced the team for a tour of the West Indies.

In May 2018, De Villiers had surprised everyone with his retirement from international cricket. He played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is before quitting.

However, last month the 37-year-old versatile cricketer said it would be ‘fantastic’ to make an international comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be played in India in October-November.

“If I can slot in, it will be fantastic,” De Villiers had said. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, De Villiers had then said he will have a chat with South Africa head coach Mark Boucher at the end of IPL 2021 while assessing his form and fitness after RCB’s campaign in the 14th season of the T20 tournament.