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AB de Villiers 'in conversations' for T20 World Cup return, says Faf du Plessis [Post #206]

Gabbar Singh

Test Debutant
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Nov 11, 2007
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15,550
https://m.sport24.co.za/Cricket/Proteas/breaking-ab-retires-from-all-international-cricket-20180523

Cape Town - In a shock move, AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all international cricket with immediate effect.

The 34-year-old announced the news on his own app on Wednesday, posting a video to his followers.

The decision comes as a massive blow to the Proteas, who would have been counting on De Villiers at next year's World Cup at the end of May next year.

De Villiers has always been vocal on his dream to win the World Cup, and he bows out of international cricket as one of the greatest players to have represented South Africa, having played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 78 T20 Internationals.

"After 114 Test matches, 228 ODI’s and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired," De Villiers added.

"This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside.

"It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me, in the green and gold, it must be everything or nothing. I will always be grateful to the coaches and staff of Cricket South Africa for their support through all these years. The most important thank you goes out to all of my team mates throughout my career, I wouldn’t be half the player that I am without the support throughout the years.

"It’s not about earning more somewhere else, it’s about running out of gas and feeling that it is the right time to move on. Everything comes to an end. To the cricket fans around South Africa and the World, thank you for your kindness and generosity, and today, for your understanding.

"I have no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket. I will continue to be the biggest supporter of Faf du Plessis and the Proteas."

De Villiers' records and statistics are a true measure of the skill and brilliance he brought to the crease. He holds a phenomenal number of milestones to his name; the World Record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls) and 150 (64 balls), the second highest individual Test score for South Africa (278*), the highest points (935) by a South African on the ICC Test rankings and has claimed the coveted SA Cricketer of the Year award twice (2014 and 2015).

He retires with an incredible Test average of 50.66 and as the fourth-highest run-scorer for South Africa with 8765 runs (22 100’s). His exploits in the limited-overs formats have been extraordinary, and he finishes as the No.2 ranked player in the world and as the second highest run-scorer behind Jacques Kallis with 9577 runs at an average of 53.50.
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’ve made a big decision today <a href="https://t.co/In0jyquPOK">pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK</a></p>— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/999247658995810304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Saw this one coming. Was only a matter of time.
 
I was expecting him to retire from test matches soon but ODIs??

It was his dream to win the next World Cup so this is utterly shocking to see him retire from ODI cricket.
 
Cricket world will forever be indebted to ABD. He has played all his games with unbelievable intensity. I will miss watching him bat, most entertaining ODI batsman of all time.

Good luck, champ.
 
It will be a massive set back for South Africa going to the next World Cup.
 
What the heck!!!

Why not wait until the World Cup?

Ran out of gas. ABD is the most intense batsman in ODIs, it takes superhuman effort to do what he has done so far. When you strike at >100 and yet average > 50 for 200+ ODIs, it sucks the life out of you.
 
Shocking news I expected him to retire after 2019 WC.. If he didn’t have any plans to play in the 2019 WC he should have let someone else be groomed in his place.. Now with just a year left it will be difficult for SA to find replacement for their best batsman..

I guess it might have been an abrupt decision to retire, probably due to politics of quota system his heart just wasn’t in it anymore.. End of the day it’s better for him to retire than play half heartedly so I respect his decision but if I were him I would have carried on till 2019 WC.

Wish him luck for the future. I rate him as a top 5 ODI batsmen ever just behind SRT, Viv, ponting and kohli.. In terms of sheer talent he is number 1 ever to have played the game..
 
One of the finest batsmen of our times.Unbelievably talented.

He had a more than decent career but he should've given himself another shot at the WC.
 
Oh no, I’m devastated.

It was an absolute privilege to be at Durban and PE to watch his Test performances recently.

First cricket news to move me to tears for years - I’m so sad that he’s gone.
 
Standard Bank Proteas batman, AB de Villiers, today announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. De Villiers bows out of international cricket as one of the greatest players to have represented South Africa, having played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 78 T20 Internationals.

The 34-year-old says ‘the time is right’ for him to hang up his boots, bringing a close to a sterling 14-year career.

“I have decided to retire from all international cricket with immediate effect,” he said on Wednesday. “After 114 Test matches, 228 ODI’s and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired.

“This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside.

“It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me, in the green and gold, it must be everything or nothing. I will always be grateful to the coaches and staff of Cricket South Africa for their support through all these years. The most important thank you goes out to all of my team mates throughout my career, I wouldn’t be half the player that I am without the support throughout the years.

“ It’s not about earning more somewhere else, it’s about running out of gas and feeling that it is the right time to move on. Everything comes to an end. To the cricket fans around South Africa and the World, thank you for your kindness and generosity, and today, for your understanding.

“ I have no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket. I will continue to be the biggest supporter of Faf du Plessis and the Proteas.”

His records and statistics are a true measure of the skill and brilliance he brought to the crease. He holds a phenomenal number of milestones to his name; the World Record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls) and 150 (64 balls), the second highest individual Test score for South Africa (278*), the highest points (935) by a South African on the ICC Test rankings and has claimed the coveted SA Cricketer of the Year award twice (2014 and 2015).

He retires with an incredible Test average of 50.66 and as the fourth-highest run-scorer for South Africa with 8765 runs (22 100’s). His exploits in the limited-overs formats have been extraordinary, and he finishes as the No.2 ranked player in the world and as the second highest run-scorer behind Jacques Kallis with 9577 runs at an average of 53.50.

Cricket South Africa President, Chris Nenzani said: “AB is one of the all-time greats of South African cricket who has thrilled spectators around the world with his sheer brilliance, coupled to his ability to innovate and take modern day batting in all three formats but particularly in the white ball ones to new levels. What is probably more important is the inspiration he has been to his team mates whether playing at international or domestic level and the wonderful role model he has been to all our aspiring youngsters. It goes without saying that he is going to be greatly missed wherever international cricket is played. We thank him for the contribution he has made to South African cricket and specifically to make the Standard Bank Proteas world leaders and we wish him and his family everything of the best in his future endeavours.”

CSA Acting Chief Executive, Thabang Moroe, says it is a disappointing decision but one that is respected.

“AB has been a colossus on the world stage for well over a decade and we are indeed grateful that most of this time he has been wearing the colours of our beloved Standard Bank Proteas. We all have our standout memories of his career and they are all very happy ones. I think particularly of the way he was embraced by the whole of India when he led the Proteas to their ODI Series victory in India a few years ago. He has captained the Proteas with distinction in all the international formats and his many achievements include making our first double century in a Test in India in 2008 and being a key member of our Test side when they scored their first ever away series wins in England and Australia and ascended to the No. 1 ranking in 2012. His ability to improvise has made him known as Mr. 360 degrees in white ball cricket and we will never ever forget those remarkable innings that earned him the fastest 50. 100 and 150 in ODI cricket. We are immensely grateful for what he has meant to South African cricket in all its constituencies and we wish him and his family everything of the best for the future.”
 
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I am sure he will continue playing for RCB making sure they never win the cup.
 
A bolt from the blue, was expecting him to hang on until the 2019 WC. One of the most gifted batsmen to have graced the sport.
 
A legend walks away.

Thank you AB for such high quality sportsmanship and entertainment for over a decade.
 
Wow, what the hell? He's literally still at his peak or at least very close to it. Shocking decision.

What a player though, it's been an absolute pleasure watching this legend play. Will go down as one of the best to ever play the game. Cricket will definitely miss AB.
 
Truly shocking and devastating

The great man at least deserved a proper farewell

Thanks for the memories AB
 
AB has given cricket and cricket fans a lot however cricket especially South African cricket and its fans have given him a lot too. He should have played on to the WC next year. Even an AB at 70-80% of his best is better than the alternative for SA.
 
Sad but I respect his decision

I am glad I found time to watch his last series as a player
 
Choker.. in recently concluded test series he said he was in form of his life.. should've been continue till WC19..
 
It would be next to impossible to find a decent replacement for him within in a year for the WC2019.
 
I foresee a U-Turn few months down the road ... no way is he going to retire without taking another shot at the WC. Stupid decision.
 
Will he continue playing in IPL, cause if he does then it will be an extremely selfish decision. South Africa were heavily dependent on his batting and counting on him to sail them through their first wc win.
which tbh looks highly improbable now.
He was at his peak and should have continued playing for the sake of his fans and country who are responsible for making him who he is.
My respect for him has gone down tremendously.
 
No.

Just no.

Hoping he pulls an Afridi and Messi. And takes back retirement.

He going away is unfair to this game. Most talented batsman of this era cannot just go away like that at his peak.
 
Oh no, I’m devastated.

It was an absolute privilege to be at Durban and PE to watch his Test performances recently.

First cricket news to move me to tears for years - I’m so sad that he’s gone.

Hoping he'll take back retirement. Most likely will for world cup.
 
Cowardly and selfish decision, harsh words but need to be spoken.
 
Something dodgy about this whole scenario

Something isn't right
 
Adios Champ. ONe of the greatest modern day entertainers. Cricketing world miss him very very badly.
 
Cowardly and selfish decision, harsh words but need to be spoken.

Putting yourself and your family first isn't selfish. It's normal.

Expecting a total stranger to put himself last to satisfy you while sitting on a couch? That actually is selfish.

AB is an all-time great, and people should respect him and what he's done for cricket.
 
ABDV is a simple guy free of controversy. Don't read too much into it. He is 34. He listens to his body. It is entirely upto him how he shapes his career going forward. If it is IPL good for him. He deserves some few extra bucks for a month's work. International cricket means travelling around a lot, staying away from family a lot, stress levels are higher.
 
I was worried for a second that he won't play the IPL finals, then was relieved it is only international cricket he has retired from.
 
Meh, cant criticise a player too much for going out on their own terms and he is obviously a legendary batsman but IMO his achievements are boosted by performances against weaker teams like the WI and the fact that, when push came to shove, particularly at world cups, he was nowhere to be seen.

Also find it difficult to buy this "tired" excuse when he'll likely continue playing every franchise league going. His country needed him to stick around for 12 more months and its obvious he's still more than good enough to play for SA, if his performances were dwindling I could understand, but as is, looks to me like he values franchise leagues over his own nation who made him the player he is today, which I'll always find somewhat sad.

Dont know if he's been poorly advised or just unsure himself either. Retired from Tests then unretired, stopped keeping then started keeping again, then out of the blue just quits the whole thing altogether. Could easily have retired from t20i's and Tests and stuck with ODI's then bowed out at the WC.

Either way international cricket is poorer for him not being there.
 
Cowardly and selfish decision, harsh words but need to be spoken.

Looked bored of Cricket for past few years. Even his recent Test comeback seemed inspired by South Africa's pursuit of #1 ranking against India and Australia.

Now that SA have a few meaningless series coming up against some bottom-ranked sides, he probably sees hanging on as a waste of time.
 
Pakistan really might become the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa in December.....
 
Big blow for South Africa. But I think he did the decent think to step away with enough time for South Africa to plan without him.
 
Pakistan really might become the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa in December.....

And India might be the 1st to win in Australia with Smith and Warner out of action. Interesting times ahead but I would have preferred both the Asian sides to face the best versions of the Southern Hemisphere giants.
 
Love him, he is the most gifted cricketer I have ever seen, but it’s both sad and shocking he didn’t go till the WC
 
Hope he come back refreshed for WC. Cricket South Africa should have let him pick and choose which series to play. Most probably was asked to commit to some meaningless series and was forced to retire.

:sa
 
Hope he come back refreshed for WC. Cricket South Africa should have let him pick and choose which series to play. Most probably was asked to commit to some meaningless series and was forced to retire.

:sa

This is what I thought. In next 10 months, SA play -

2 Test, 5 ODIs and a T20 against Srilanka.
3 ODIs, 3 T20's against Zimbabwe
A short 3 match ODI series against Australia.
3 Tests and 5 ODIs and 3 T20s against Pakistan.
3 Tests 5 ODIs and 3 T20s against Sri Lanka.

Probably wants to sit these series out and return refreshed for the World Cup. Makes sense.
 
Picking and choosing internationals and playing league cricket has now devolved to just playing league cricket. Probably he has no chance of getting near :viv in ODIs so quit altogether :)))
 
Faf shoud convince him to play the ODI game till the World Cup. He is their best batsman
 
Today, I have lost all respect for him. There is no justification for his retirement. He's not even 35. He could have easily played the next World Cup.

He should not be rated nowhere near other ATGs.
 
Looked bored of Cricket for past few years. Even his recent Test comeback seemed inspired by South Africa's pursuit of #1 ranking against India and Australia.

Now that SA have a few meaningless series coming up against some bottom-ranked sides, he probably sees hanging on as a waste of time.

Playing too much does that once he cuts down a lot things will change he'll miss Internatioonal cricket and might regret leaving early.
 
He should have played international cricket for 2-3 years more. This is really disappointing :(
If what I heard is true, he won’t be playing in the IPL either.
 
Pakistan really might become the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa in December.....

And it should not be counted as india's drawn series in aus or the upcoming one where you said even if they win it will not be considered a real victory.
 
He should atleast play the World Cup. I really hopes he takes back this decision.
 
I'm really shocked with his decision.He was in such great form across all formats.
 
Not sure what to think

but he was a great cricketer

tough times for SA, no AB, no Steyn, no Morkel
 
cricket will become more boring for me, now I will look forward to SA matches with less interest.
 
Unless he has a medical condition which no one is aware of , this is truly shocking decision.
 
Will wait for more information before calling him chicken or quitter like the armchair badasses here. Sad to see him go.
 
And it should not be counted as india's drawn series in aus or the upcoming one where you said even if they win it will not be considered a real victory.

Cmon dude you know the yardsticks are different, you shouldn't question him on such things anymore.
 
Retiring an year later should not had been that hard, not sure what's going on.
 
Am sure he wont be to tired to play IPL and other T20 leagues all year round and fill his pockets with lots of $$.

Could have just retired from tests and played ODIs until the WC but probably didnt fancy chocking again.
 
I guess he did to join t20 leagues all around the world. Great player but i had very less respect for him.
 
Was in huge shock when I heard this. Very out of the blue. I thought he would have played at least in the 2019 WC. Can't believe he's never going to play for SA again. Great player, great fielder, great sportsman. He will be missed.

Seems like he has lost his motivation and hunger hence the retirement.
 
Wow, this is very surprising. SA just lost Morkel, Steyn's time is almost up, Amla is showing signs of decline and now AB has quit. Our chances this winter have gone up drastically.

Surprising decision though. Didn't he say during his recent Test comeback how great it was to be back. And I thought he really desired one last go at the WC.

Sad to see him go. May have watched some of his recent innings if knew they'd be the last.
 
Wow really shocking news. Most talented to play the game after viv richards and wasim akram. For me 2nd best batsman in odis after viv richards.Really really sad news.
 
Sad and bit of a shock. Great player, cricket will miss him.

Since last year or so it felt that AB isn't motivated enough to continue playing for South Africa, his performances were still very good but just looked disinterested. Retired from tests, then came back, wanted to pick and choose, now says if I were to play I will play every game, said WC was his dream then recently stated that WC win or loss will not define his career... Now retires altogether and also says will play domestics for Titans.. wonder why he will eat up a place of a youngster wgen he has no intensions to play for proteas... Unless he is doing it to keep himself fit and under match practice so that ye can play in T20 leagues. Looked a confused man AB.

Nonetheless, great player... Farewell.
 
Dang, this is shocking. This will hurt SA a lot in World Cup.

Best of luck to him for the future. A Big entertainer & innovator in modern day cricket. He was a big draw for test cricket
 
:murali

Surely he would have wanted one more crack at the WC?

Unless it has to do with injuries/personal matters, this is an incredibly odd decision.
 
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