AB pushes for national recall

AB DE VILLIERS would be welcomed back into the South African team ahead of the T20 World Cup, captain Faf du Plessis said yesterday.

Batting star De Villiers, who retired from international cricket in 2018, was quoted on an Australian website saying he was keen to return.

He said he had been talking with former captain Graeme Smith, South Africa’s interim director of cricket, as well as coach Mark Boucher and Du Plessis.

Speaking on the eve of South Africa’s third Test against England, Du Plessis hinted that De Villiers’ return was almost a done deal, though both De Villiers and South African assistant coach Enoch Nkwe have emphasised that it is far from finalised.

He made himself available for the one-day World Cup last year, only to be rejected, with officials saying he left it too late and calling him up would be unfair to other players.

Meanwhile, the Adelaide Strikers need 67-Test veteran Peter Siddle firing to quell de Villiers and Chris Lynn in their

Big Bash game in Adelaide today. Siddle noted de Villiers (40) and unconquered Matt Renshaw (52) were under “no scoreboard pressure” chasing the Strikers 110 total in Brisbane this week.

“Hopefully we put a good score on the board if we bat first, if not we have to bowl well to him. We have to make sure we are on,” said Siddle, who has 10 wickets at 17.4 this season. “When you are not having to chase a high run rate it is a bit easier to work them around as they did. We get to have another crack at them again and hopefully turn the tables.

“The batters are keen to put a big score on the board, we haven’t had a real big one yet.”