News Sports Cricket AB de Villiers leaves England tour to decide on international future

AB de Villiers leaves England tour to decide on international future

AB de Villiers left South Africa's tour of England midway saying he will meet the CSA officials to decide on his cricket future.

A file image of AB de Villiers. Image Source : AP IMAGEA file image of AB de Villiers.

One of South Africa and world's most prominent batsmen AB de Villiers has left his country's tour of England midway to decide on his international future in August. The 33-year-old returned home after South Africa lost the three-match T20I against England following a 19-run defeat by England in the third match in Cardiff on Sunday. South Africa, the No.1-ranked ODI team in world, have been going through a poor run of form of late. They had lost the ODI series against England by 2-1 and suffered a first-round exit in the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy.

The Proteas will next play England in a four-match Test series starting July 10. However, de Villiers will not be a part of the team to take a break from the strain of being one of the world's leading players in all three international formats, as well as a man in demand at lucrative Twenty20 franchise events around the world.

After the T20I series loss against England, de Villiers said: "I am going to meet with CSA (Cricket South Africa) in August, and that will decide my (international) future," de Villiers told reporters.

"We will see what works for both parties," added de Villiers, who has scored more than 8,000 runs in 106 Tests, including 21 hundreds, at an average of over 50.

"We are not going to pick and choose games, but we are going to make a final decision about what happens for the next few years."

Asked what he would do for the next couple of months, de Villiers said: "I am going to spend a bit of time off at home with the family, I'm going to welcome my new youngster into the world, and obviously look to stay fit.

"I want to make sure I am ready for September, when Bangladesh come."

De Villiers said it was dream to win a World Cup for South Africa. The next World Cup will take place in England in 2019.

"It's my main dream to win a World Cup for South Africa, or to be part of it in one way or another"

"I don't even think it's in my hands, what is going to happen.

"I will wait until the final decision on the coach and things like that are made. Then I can also have a chat to CSA, to see where I am going to fit in," he said.

(With PTI inputs)