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“Yes, it’s disappointing for the country and world cricket that AB de Villiers is not playing cricket, but it does give me a year to find, not a replacement because I don’t think he can be replaced, but for someone to put their hand up. There’s a big space for someone to fill.”
This was how Proteas coach Ottis Gibson chose to view the retirement of one cricket’s most renowned and recognisable names. Speaking to the press at Cricket South Africa’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday, Gibson said that he was shocked to learn of De Villiers’ retirement.
“He called me the morning before the announcement to tell me what he was planning to do, and we had a long conversation around ‘are you sure you are doing the right thing’. He reckons that he is. He’s spoken with the people in his close circle and the people who advise him and he reckons that he is tired,” Gibson said.
The former West Indies fast bowler admitted that De Villiers’ untimely retirement did put a “spanner in the works” when planning for the World Cup in June and July next year, considering that planning began when he took over in August last year.
Gibson said that he asked De Villiers to consider retiring from Tests in the hope that it would give his ODI career longevity till after the World Cup, but De Villiers said that his mind was made up and nothing Gibson could say would change that.
“He could have made a huge difference in the World Cup and he knows that; we all know that. But he’s chosen to walk away from the game at this time and it is what it is,” said a calm, relaxed-looking Gibson.
So who will slot into the vacant spot?
Gibson was coy in suggesting any names because he did not want to give anyone “false hope”, especially when he hadn’t even sat down with the selectors for the Sri Lanka tour yet. However he did say that they would be widening the net and looking at as many players as possible.
Asked if either Aiden Markram or Dean Elgar – especially with his recent successful limited overs exploits in England – could be top of the list to cement the vacant position, the Proteas coach said that it was a possibility, adding that the main criteria for the World Cup would be players who could perform in the English and Welsh conditions.
The Proteas take on Sri Lanka in the sub-continent on July 12 for two Tests, five ODIs and one T20 before returning for the home summer against Zimbabwe, Pakistan and the return series against Sri Lanka in February and March.
Most appetising, however, would be the November summer fling in Australia (before the Pakistan tour), with three ODIs and a one-off T20. It’s been a torrid time for Australian cricket after the ball-tampering saga in South Africa and now new allegations of match-fixing, uncovered in a documentary by Al-Jazeera on Sunday.
South Africa would be hoping to take advantage of this instability and might experiment with some young players. However, whatever Gibson and his team decide to do for that series, they would most certainly fine-tune their World Cup preparations after their sojourn Down Under.
“The Pakistan and Sri Lanka tours will be the last 10 one-dayers and I imagine you’d see, apart from maybe one or two positions, something very close to the squad that we’re looking at for the World Cup,” Gibson said.
Sri Lanka and the second spin option first
But the World Cup is just two days shy of 12 months away and Gibson’s first assignment was away in Sri Lanka, where he said a second specialist spinner is a must-have.
Contemplating on who to select between Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Shaun von Berg was another problem. But when he met with the selectors on May 31 they would use the reports from a recently held spin camp to India to inform them.
“All the best spinners in the country went over to India for about 10 days, working with some spinners there and working in those conditions and understanding how to bowl in those conditions. the reports from that camp were very good,” Gibson said.
With regards to his pace attack, Gibson said that Kagiso Rabada was back from injury and would begin bowling proper tomorrow. The number one Test bowler in the world had picked up a lower back stress reaction after the incident prone Australian tour, which forced him out of the IPL.
Gibson said that over the past two months he had recovered well.
The other bowler South Africa would be hoping stays injury free this season was Lungi Ngidi. The 22-year-old had a dream debut season in the IPL helping Chennai Super Kings lift the title on Sunday and Gibson said he was pleased with he way the young gun had performed.
But first things first, the CSA Awards will be held this weekend and Rabada, Ngidi, Markram, Elgar and De Villiers have all been nominated for at least one award, while all but Ngidi were nominated for the prestigious cricketer of the year award.
Asked about his favourite for the top prize, Gibson quipped “cricket is the winner!”
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