Very excited about South African Cricket moving forward: AB de Villiers

In spite of losing a bevy of their players to the Kolpak system, limited-overs’ skipper AB de Villiers is confident that the South African Cricket Board can indeed find fresh and new replacements for the players who have been lost in the labyrinth of English County Cricket. In recent times, many of the South African players who have not been able to cement their place in the squad have gone ahead and signed a Kolpak deal, thus preventing them from signing a contract with CSA.

In recent times, with the racial quotas in the South African side taking center-stage, many of the players have gone away and signed Kolpak deals with England county sides, something that sees them banned for four years and ineligible to play international cricket. Kyle Abbott, Rilee Rossouw, and Stiaan van Zyl are a few to name at the moment. However, despite this, AB de Villiers is confident that replacements for the same can be found.

Asked about the absence of Abbott and Rossouw, de Villiers said: “I think it’s great for some of the younger talent coming through. We’ve seen that happening over the last year or two, and it’s amazing how it keeps happening. The minute you think, ‘Oh no, there goes that guy, or this guy is injured and he’s irreplaceable’, the young talent just keeps coming through. It speaks volumes for the depth we have in our country, in all races and cultures.

“I’m very excited and positive about our cricket moving forward. Going to the Champions Trophy we have more than enough talent to win that trophy and the World Cup in 2019. It’s a matter of building great confidence, keeping this great team spirit, making sure the culture is in place, and making sure the youngsters get some good experience before then.”

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Speaking about his comeback in Cape Town, de Villiers went on to add that his century on the day was simply not enough and that he could have contributed a lot more to the team’s cause.

“I really felt I should have made a bigger contribution at Newlands. I lost my wicket at a bad time,” said de Villiers. “I’m very keen to play tomorrow. I’ve been out of the game a long time, I’m hitting the ball better than ever. I’ve just got to get my mind in the right place and prepare to work hard for my runs.”