AB de Villiers has not committed to South Africa Test captaincy

Star batsman AB de Villiers has stated that he is not looking beyond the current series against England also highlighted the ‘concerning’ nature of global cricket calendar. The 31-year-old took over from Hashim Amla after the drawn second Test in Cape Town, but speaking on the eve of his first match in charge he admitted the financial lure of Twenty20 cricket meant he is still considering his long-term future.

The dynamic batsman has clarified that he will not commit to being South Africa’s Test captain beyond the end of the current series with England and has warned the International Cricket Council that “one or two things” need to change in the sport’s enlarged calendar.

De Villiers had voiced concerns over his workload during South Africa’s defeat in the first Test at Durban, following a report in an Afrikaans newspaper that he was considering Test retirement. “There have been a few rumours floating around and in most rumours there is always a little bit of truth,” said De Villiers.

“It is not just in the last while, in the last two or three years, I’ve been searching for the right answers to play a little bit less cricket in one way or another to keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. I’ve found myself on the pitch in the past few years, every now and then, not enjoying myself as much as I should be and that raises concerns within myself. I’ve been searching for answers and speaking to a few people and that has leaked a little bit.

He added, “I’m still very committed. To the job [of captaincy] I’m not sure, obviously the two Test matches for now is all I’m focusing on, and there is a nice six month break before we play Test match cricket again. Lots of things can happen before then and I don’t want to commit myself too much to everything before then, but for now I’m as committed as I can be and I’m very hungry to make a success of the next two Test matches.”

He is contracted to Royal Challengers Bangalore until the end of 2017 on a deal worth US$1.5 million. At today’s exchange rate, that is 23.45 million rand, which is, minimum ten times more than his national contract which is believed to be between 2 and 3 million rand. The financial implications of that gulf against the backdrop of a packed international schedule are the biggest challenge faced by cricket’s administrators, according to de Villiers.

“I think it is an ongoing concern for the ICC. They have been talking about it for the last few years to find a way of keeping everyone fresh. Test cricket is the main format and we all want to be part of that. There are huge traditions and culture in this format. But I truly believe there are one or two areas where we can improve and the guys keep their focus in the right place. There are big tournaments going on around the world at the moment and some of them you cannot ignore because financially they do make a huge difference in our lives.

“Obviously you have to look after that side of it as well. This kind of cricket comes first. International cricket is the main one you want to play and one or two things will have to change in the future in order for that to happen.”

Asked whether the ICC had spoken to him about the issue, De Villiers said, “There have been plenty of surveys in the last few years. I have seen some changes in the past. There are still one or two that need to get attention from the ICC. One of those is the schedules for the more senior guys to make sure they keep their focus in the right places. I don’t know what the answers are. I can’t make a statement. All I know is there are quite a few guys feeling we are playing a bit too much cricket and just need to get the focus right.”

Asked how he would reach a decision on his international future, De Villiers stated, “I get good advice from people who have got my best interests at heart. We will just try and make the right call. My focus is on international cricket. I want to play for as long as possible. I have dreams of winning World Cups and No1 status in Test cricket for as long as possible. I want to get my experience across to the youngsters. There are so many dreams I would want to follow again I would just like to sit down, take some time away from the game, discuss these things and make the right call.”