Linda Zondi: I pleaded with AB de Villiers not to retire in 2018

The retired batsman from the South African Cricket Team AB de Villiers had made a humble request to play in the World Cup for the sake of his team. But now, he has been turned down.

South African team has lost all the 3 matches held yet, probably because they are missing out AB de Villiers The South Africa selection convenor Linda Zondi says that the approach came just 24 hours prior to the final announcement of the South African squad. In a CSA statement according to Reuters, Zondi said, “At no point in the year that he had retired did he make himself available for selection.”

Zondi also added “It was no option when I received the news on the day of the squad announcement, our squad was finalised and confirmed. AB is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but above all else, we have to stay true to our morals and principles, there is no regret in the decision.”

According to Zondi, AB de Villiers had a sense of opportunism and had missed out on the South African build-up event. “I pleaded with AB de Villiers not to retire in 2018”, Zondi said. He also finally added “Although there was a perception that he was picking and choosing when to play – which was not true — I did give him the option to plan and monitor his season to get him to the World Cup fresh and in a good space. We made it clear that he would have to play during the home tours vs Lanka and Pak to be considered for selection, instead, he signed to play in the Pakistan and Bangladesh leagues.”