“Don’t be a coach with an ego and with all kinds of agendas”: Ab de Villers wants Cricket South Africa to pick Faf du Plessis for T20 World Cup.

Former South African cricket captain AB de Villiers suggests that selecting Faf du Plessis, a seasoned batsman, for the 2024 T20 World Cup squad is crucial if he stands out among top players. De Villiers emphasizes the need for selectors to adopt a more inclusive approach, advocating against solely relying on domestic cricket for player picks

Despite Du Plessis not featuring in T20 internationals since December 2020, his stellar performances in various global franchise leagues make a compelling case for his inclusion.

De Villiers shared his perspective on this matter during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel,saying

“We’ve covered this before with Rohit [Sharma] and Virat [Kohli] as well. Whoever is the best player for the team to go and win a World Cup, you play him. It’s pretty one-dimensional just to say, ‘no, we just pick from our domestic players and that’s it’.”

Drawing parallels with the successful Springboks rugby team, he highlighted how players contributing to their triumphs play rugby overseas, emphasizing the importance of talent recognition beyond domestic boundaries

“If Faf du Plessis is the best player for the Proteas in the T20 World Cup coming up, pick him. If he’s not, don’t pick him. It’s as simple as that. Follow his progress. Have a look at his passion, his form, his shape. Is he hitting the ball well? Is he playing the best cricket of his life or not. And is he a perfect fit for a No. 3 or No. 4 or opening spot for our team in this World Cup? If the answer is yes pick him.”