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Cricket Players'I don't think it sat well with him': Mark Boucher explains why AB de Villiers turned down South Africa return
South Africa coach Mark Boucher has explained the reason behind AB de Villiers' decision to stay retired from international cricket.
Fans of AB de Villiers were in for some not-so-exciting news when Cricket South Africa confirmed that the former South Africa captain would be sticking to his decision to stay retired. Having announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, speculation about de Villiers making an international return for the T20 World Cup later this year has been doing the rounds. In fact, SA coach Mark Boucher had hinted several times in the past that de Villiers could be in the mix for South Africa for the ICC event.
However, a day after CSA broke the news that de Villiers would in fact remain retired, Boucher has explained the reason behind the decision. Acknowledging that de Villiers is still probably the best T20 player in the world, Boucher called the development unfortunate but understood where de Villiers is coming from.
"AB has his reasons, which I respect. Unfortunately, he’s no longer in the mix. I say unfortunately because I think we all agree that he’s still one of the best – if not the best – T20 players in world cricket," Boucher told The Citizen. "But he alluded to being concerned about coming in ahead of other players who have been a part of the system. I don’t think it sat well with him, which I understand."
It was during the 2019 World Cup that the idea of de Villiers' potential return first floated. In a staggering revelation, former SA captain Faf du Plessis had announced that de Villiers had offered to come out of retirement but his request was turned down keeping the hard work of other players in mind. South Africa performed awfully in the 2019 WC, becoming the second team after Afghanistan to be knocked out. With a fresh World Cup awaiting, Boucher feels it is best everyone moved on from the de Villiers saga.
"As a coach I needed to try and get our best players, for the team and the environment. AB is an energy-booster in any environment, but I respect his reasoning. It was worth a go, but now let’s move forward," Boucher pointed out.
