RCB skipper Faf du Plessis is having a time batting for his IPL franchise in the ongoing cash-rich tournament. Having scored 576 runs at a strike rate of 157.80 in 11 innings, du Plessis has pretty much soaked in the Indian conditions.
Having said that, the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 will be played in the same Indian conditions. However, as stated by Cricbuzz the South African cricket will be lacking du Plessis’ services coming in to play the One-day World Cup.
Moreover, having played his last match for the Proteas back in February 2021, and less than 9 days from his 39th birthday, it seems he has moved on.
What Faf du Plessis has to say on his return for the South African national team?
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis in his book ‘Faf: Through Fire’ had mentioned about his meeting with former CSA Director of cricket Greame Smith. In which he revealed his intentions to retire from the longest format of the game.
Further, Smith himself had stated, ” he (Faf) still wanted to represent the Proteas in ODIs and T20Is for as long as his form justified his selection”. Smith also said, “But I (Faf) suggest that I now take a longer break from ODIs, at least for a year, perhaps even two. This would give you (Smith) and Mark (Boucher, South Africa’s then coach) the time and space to build a strong stage for the 2023 ODI World Cup. If, in the months leading up to the tournament, i was still good enough to be in contention and they wanted me to be available, I’d be there for the team.”
No doubt Du Plessis has learnt the lessons from the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, where it was left to him, as South Africa’s captain, and then coach Ottis Gibson to explain repeatedly why AB de Villiers wasn’t there. That was after the story broke during the tournament that De Villiers, who retired from international cricket in May 2018, had made a casual offer to return. It was spurned because, the selectors said, he was unwilling to play for South Africa leading up to the World Cup.
The saga helped derail Du Plessis’ team, who limped home having won only three of their eight completed games, making history to become the worst performance in South Africa’s eight World Cup campaigns. Hence, Du Plessis was considered enough to not want the same kind of bombshell to detonate over the heads of Temba Bavuma and Walter in the throes of this year’s tournament.
Asked what his position on the issue was, Du Plessis said (to Cricbuzz on Friday): “I’ll talk about it more when the time is right. Now it’s not needed as I’m currently at the IPL.”
That’s not much. Indeed it could be the shortest reply the always articulate, languidly loquacious Du Plessis has yet given to any question he has been asked. But it is exactly the right thing for him to say right now. It’s not only at the crease that his timing is impeccable.
