ABHAI SAYS NO

There’s no doubt it was quite a poignant moment when one of South Africa’s most versatile and skilful batsman, AB de Villiers, abruptly ended his international career in May 2018.

I’ve been a fan of his versatility and the brand of cricket he’s played over the years. He didn’t take part in any subsequent series for the Proteas. Last year’s World Cup campaign was largely forgettable and it was evident that his game-changing ability was dearly missed.

However, in Early 2020, De Villiers expressed his interest to re-enter the international scene and potentially vie for a spot in the upcoming T20 World Cup squad.

Going back to the 2019 World Cup, every member of that squad had taken part in at least one ODI series in the past 18 months leading up to the tournament. Should De Villiers announce his availability for the T20 World Cup in Australia, he’ll have to feature in at least one T20I series beforehand.

If I were to assess the recent T20I series, despite the fact that things didn’t go so well against Australia, the Proteas have added more options to the batting card.

Temba Bavuma was initially pigeonholed as a longer-format specialist, but he’s scored 199 runs in 5 T20Is, striking at just under 140.

Heinrich Klaasen’s return to form has sparked a steep rise in form – an imperious 66 from 33 balls in the third T20I against England was followed up with a purple patch in the ODIs against Australia. Among the uncapped batsmen in the MSL, we’ve seen glimpses of promise from Wihan Lubbe and Marco Marais, for example.

While Bavuma and Klaasen are two examples of success, it’s also to be noted that newcomers should be given ample chances to step up to the plate. The experienced middle-order finisher Pite van Biljon debuted against Australia, and even though he struggled to put together a strong performance, we’ve seen his devastating impact in the Mzansi Super League.

Considering the fact that the more recent international debutants in the shorter formats have done well in the MSL, there is a sizable talent pool from which future Proteas can be chosen.

Bouncing back from a rough period has often been a forte for South Africa, and at this point in time, providing important top-level exposure to those raring to push for higher honours will be beneficial in the long term.

While I’m not downplaying the accolades and positive impression that AB de Villiers has left on South African cricket, there come frequent occasions when tough decisions have to be made, and this happens to be one of them.

RAVI SAYS YES

We’ve all been there. Remember when you saw your “ex” for the first time after a couple of years? Feels great, doesn’t it?

While the knee jerk reaction will be to remember the bad times instead of the good, I welcome you to take a harmonious walk down memory lane. Whilst walking, I want you to remember all the fond memories involving Mr 360 himself, AB de Villiers.

A reminder, a young AB de Villiers made his Test debut all the way back in 2004, sporting a “point-break” hairstyle that the late Patrick Swayze will be proud of.

Success and fortune soon followed AB, resulting in a prosperous career across all 3 formats of the game.

Most notably, AB persevered in T20 cricket and is undoubtedly one of the most popular foreign players in the Indian Premier League. Not convinced? Here are the numbers (T20):

T20I – 78 matches, 1,672 runs @ 26, Strike Rate: 135.2, Highest score: 79 n/o

IPL – 154 matches, 4,395 runs @ 39.95, Strike Rate: 151.23, Highest Score: 133 n/o

With the T20 World Cup potentially happening at the end of this year in Australia, it makes sense to choose an experienced team. Who better than selecting AB himself.

The batting order in recent times under-delivered and reared its ugly veneer at the 2019 World Cup in England.

There were multiple concerns with AB destroying the team culture, should he return to the national side.

I believe that AB won’t be disruptive, considering Quinton de Kock has just taken over from Faf du Plessis as the team captain.

Undoubtedly AB will support QDK as best as possible and will certainly combine forces to form formidable, match-winning partnerships.

The Heavy Roller thinks AB should be let back in so that the Proteas can clinch their inaugural T20 World Cup.

What do you think, Cricket Fanatics? Has the Heavy Roller been drinking too much of his own fruit punch?

Or should we open the gates and let Superman return to his metropolis?

Sound off your comments below.