AB De Villiers to retire?

Image: ZEE News

The South African batsman had complained of increased workload due to international assignments and that he hardly gets any rest. De Villiers decided to skip the IPL because of that recently.

This may shock you a bit but this topic has been in talks all day. AB De Villiers who was brought in as a stand in skipper to lead in the remaining two tests against England has hinted retirement from international cricket.

"There have been a few rumors floating around, and in most rumors there is always a little bit of truth. It's not just in the last while; it's for 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. Every now and then in the past few years I've found myself on the pitch not enjoying myself as much as I should be, and that raises concerns within myself. I've been searching for answers and speaking to people and obviously that's leaked a bit," de Villiers said.

Image: The Sunday Times

"I think it's a growing concern for the ICC and they've been talking about it for the last few years to find the right structure to keep all the guys fresh. Obviously international cricket is the main cricket you want to play, especially Test cricket.

"There are huge traditions and culture in this format. I believe there are one or two areas where we can improve, and make sure that we keep the guys' focus in the right place," de Villiers said.

With T20 cricket on the rise, Test cricket is really dying. In an era where fans prefer it for the entertainment that it brings in, players are enticed by the lucrative offers and contracts in the cash rich T20 leagues. AB plays for the Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier league where he was bought for a whopping Rs. 9.5 crores, an amount much higher than his national contract.

“Obviously there are big tournaments going on around the world. Some you can't ignore because financially they make a huge difference in our lives, and obviously you've got to look after that side of it as well. International cricket is the main one you want to play, and one or two things will have to change in order for that to happen."

AB De Villiers has just quashed the retirement rumors and we all may see our hero calling it a day from Tests if not international cricket soon.

However, for now he is focused for the upcoming tests against England and looks forward to complete the task at hand currently.

"I'm still very committed to the job. The two Test matches for now are all I'm focusing on and then there's a nice big break of six months before we play Test cricket again. Lots of things can happen before then so I don't want to commit myself too much to everything before that. But for now, I'm as committed as I can be and very, very hungry to make a success of the next two Test matches."

"My focus is on international cricket and I want to play for as long as possible. I've got dreams of winning World Cups and maintaining this No.1 status in Test cricket for as long as possible. Obviously I want to get my experience across to some of the youngsters. There are so many dreams that I'd like to follow. I'd just like to sit down, take some time away from the game and discuss all these things and make the right call.", he said in an interview.

With a six month break till South Africa play another Test, chances are very high that this might be his last test series. Well, day by day Test cricket is diminishing and it certainly needs a revival. With players having limited time, they tend to chose T20s over representing their country as they have to “make most of what they’ve got” as quoted by Kevin Pietersen.