Form is temporary, but class is permanent.
This is an age-old cliche that gets thrown around in sport – sometimes too often for my liking – but in this case, there is no better phrase.
South Africa’s AB de Villiers may have retired from international cricket almost a decade ago – he called time on T20 internationals in 2017 – but the 41-year-old has shown he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the world.
At the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament being held in England, Mr 360 has made all the bowlers that have come before him look like average club cricketers.
After a slow start to the tournament where he made only three runs against the West Indies, De Villiers has gone on to post scores that validate his spot in the ICC Hall of Fame.
An unbeaten 61 off 30 balls against India, 116 not out off 51 against England and 123 off 46 against Australia shows there is still a spot for him in any franchise team around the world.
Come on, get AB playing again
Yes, the opposition he has bludgeoned to all parts of the ground may be past their prime, but it has been the manner in which he has gone about his work that has been beyond impressive.
If I was a chairman of any T20 franchise – be it the SA20, Indian Premier League or Australia’s Big Bash – I would be on the phone to De Villiers, making him an offer he could not refuse.
The joys of the modern day T20 game means he could play purely as an impact player, meaning he just has to bat and after that he can put his feet up and enjoy watching the game he clearly still has a deep love for.
His vision and power is still second to none and throw in the fact that he remains as fit as anyone currently playing competitive cricket and this decision should be a no-brainer.
A guy like India’s MS Dhoni is 44 and he is still raking in the big bucks in the IPL.
So why not AB?
Come on bigwigs of franchise cricket, give AB a call and give him a contract so the lovers of the game can enjoy watching him play for a few more years.
