Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam picked South Africa legend AB De Villiers as the best batter he has played against during his career. Babar recently appeared in an interview on De Villiers’ official YouTube channel and when the former Proteas batter asked him to choose, Babar was quick to pick him over any active cricketer. De Villiers was left amused by the answer and although he asked Babar to choose someone other than him, the Pakistan cricketer said that his answer remains AB De Villiers.

Babar also opened up about the toughest bowler he has faced in his career as he took the name of Australian cricket team pacer Pat Cummins. When asked about the most famous person in his phonebook, De Villers joked that Babar cannot take his name again. The Pakistan cricket team batter was left in splits by the comment and his final answer was famous Pakistani singer Atif Aslam.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan for the Global T20 in Canada.

This decision follows shortly after a similar refusal for Naseem Shah‘s participation in The Hundred, where he had a contract with Birmingham Phoenix. In a statement, the PCB clarified that the decision was made after consulting with the players and the selection committee, highlighting the demanding international schedule ahead.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” read a statement released by PCB on Friday night.

“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh.”

(With IANS inputs)

South Africa and World Cup semifinals used to be a sporting tragedy of Shakepearean proportions. Not anymore. Shedding the unwanted tag of perennial “chokers” the Proteas marched into their maiden T20 World Cup final unbeaten in Tarouba, Trinidad, comfortably beating tournament giant-slayers Afghanistan. The triumph wiped off years of heartache and the trauma of being labelled under-performers despite having some of international cricket’s biggest names in the line-up. Let’s take a look at the Proteas’ tormented past when they failed to get over the line at key junctures in global events.

1992 ODI World Cup semifinal vs Australia

Not quite a choke but just bad luck. Emerging after 22 years of exile following the end of apartheid in the country, South Agrica had everything going for them, their lightening quick bowlers were excelling, their fielders affected sensational run-outs.

However, in the semifinal, rain came and the equation went from a reasonably gettable 22 off 7 balls, gettable to 22 off just one bacll, thanks to a miscommunication on their revised target.

1996 ODI World Cup quarterfinal vs West Indies

Having won all their group games, Hansie Cronje and his men started firm favourites against West Indies in the quarterfinal. But Brian Lara played an absolute blinder while spinners Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams spun a web to inflict a 19-run defeat on the Proteas.

1999 ODI World Cup semifinal vs Australia

Perhaps the most devastating game in South Africa’s cricketing history. The semifinal at Edgbaston that turned tournament’s best player Lance Klusener into the World Cup’s biggest tragic hero.

Chasing a modest 214, South Africa needed nine off the final over with the final pair at the crease. Klusener smashed the first two balls for fours to level the scores but Allan Donald was run out and the game was tied.

Australia went through to the final as they had won the previous game between the teams in the super sixes stage.

2007 ODI World Cup semifinal vs Australia

South Africa’s decision to bat first backfired dramatically as a revered line-up, including the likes of Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, was shot out for 149. Australia finished the game off with nearly 20 overs to spare

2009 T20 World Cup semifinal vs Pakistan

The Proteas had defeated New Zealand, England, West Indies and India to reach the last four stage high on confidence. But a miserly spell by Shahid Afridi stopped them as they failed to chase a reasonably decent 150.

2011 ODI World Cup quarterfinal vs New Zealand

A line up boasting of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy failed to chase down a small target of 222 against New Zealand. At 108 for 3 in the 25 overs, South Africa looked set to cruise to victory but then lost next seven wickets for 64 runs.

2013 Champions Trophy semifinal vs England

South Africa were reeling at 8/80 before David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt inflated the total to 175. But Jonathan Trott smashed an unbeaten 82 and England won by seven wickets with more than 12 overs spare.

“I think we did choke in the game. You’ve got to accept that’s what it is. It’s definitely a dark mist that hangs over South African cricket in knockout events,” coach Gary Kirsten had said after the game.

2014 T20 World Cup semifinal vs India

South Africa’s semifinal curse continued as they failed to get over the line in another crunch match. This time against a clinical Indian unit.

2015 ODI World Cup semifinal vs New Zealand

The tide didn’t turn for the Proteas. A golden generation of South Africa cricketers, at their peak, had all bases covered. But were knocked out by New Zealand again in the semifinals stage giving yet another heartbreak.

2022 T20 World Cup Super 12 vs the Netherlands

A solitary win away from the semifinals, South Africa choked, suffering a 13-run shock defeat at the hands of a spirited Netherlands side.

2023 ODI World Cup semifinal vs Australia

The Proteas galloped through the league stage, even inflicting a massive 134-run defeat on Australia. But when it came to the crucial last four game, South Africa meekly surrendered to the men from Down Under in the semifinals, for their fifth semifinal exit in 50-over World Cups.

As the T20 World Cup 2024 begins, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers got Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on board for an interview on his YouTube channel. The cricketing duo spoke about various on-the-field topics but De Villiers got really annoyed as a fan tried to make fun of Babar Azam’s English. The Proteas and Royal Challengers Bengaluru legend was in no mood to let the troll leave after saying such things and decided to respond to the comment on social media.

The fan had written in the comments section of the YouTube video, “ABD hardly control his laughing. Babar Azam speaking in English” followed by a few tears of joy smiley emojis.

De Villiers shut down the troll with a fiery response. He said: “His English is infinitely better than my Urdu. And his batting is excellent, which is what matters more, I believe.”

AB De Villiers defends Babar Azam’s English, shutting down an Indian troll.

Well done, AB, you have even earned more respect. #T20WorldCup2024 #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/DKAF3QnzYL

— sehrish qayyum (@sehrishqayyum2) June 1, 2024

During the chat with De Villiers, Babar also opened up on his upbringing and how he started to play cricket in the first place.

“My family played a big role because, when I started out, we did not have a lot of money. We were not like a rich family. When I started out, I played state cricket and played tennis ball cricket and tape-ball cricket every Saturday night. We used to be 2 teams and play together. After sometime, I told my father I wanted to start professional cricket, so he said ok, let us do it. So it was very difficult when I began my professional cricket journey,” Babar said.

Though Babar’s only 29 right now, he did address the topic of retirement in the chat with De Villiers.

“I am just taking one day at a time, I am not thinking where I am going, or which age I would stop myself. Right now, I am just playing my own game and I enjoy my every single time. I just love to play cricket. Yes, we are going for the World Cup and the hope is very high. The confidence is very high and we have a good team, we have good players. Good batters and senior players have stepped up and this helps a lot. We are very excited for World Cup,” he said.

AB De Villiers is not surprised that just days before South Africa renews its quest for an elusive World Cup, the talk back home is all about racial quota in the team. It’s a rinse-and-repeat sort of situation and de Villiers, who retired in 2018, is glad that he is a mere spectator to the situation now. “…it’s a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that. I mean it’s nothing new, it’s just a shame,” lamented one of the greats of South African cricket. “Luckily this time around, I’ve had nothing to do with anything over there. I’m just a spectator,” the 40-year-old said in an interaction with PTI facilitated by ‘Jio Cinema’.

The cause of outrage is the presence of just one black player in the squad for the T20 showpiece that will take place in the Americas from June 1.

Considered the perennial bridesmaids, who tend to choke in crunch situations, South Africa somehow are always in the pre-tournament favourites bracket without actually living up to the tag.

And having a deeply divisive topic take centre-stage just days before they begin their campaign is a far-from-ideal build-up for a country that has a troubled past when it comes to race relations. The Proteas will start off against the Netherlands in New York on June 8.

Over the course of a season, six players of colour are required to be in the South Africa playing eleven including two from the black African community as per the policy introduced in 2016.

With Kagiso Rabada being the only black African in the T20 World Cup squad, the national team is set to miss its target. Another black-African, Lungi Ngidi, is part of the travelling reserves.

The other players of colour include Reeza Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Ottniel Baartman.

“There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup,” de Villiers said.

“I think it’s a good team. It’s a shame about Lungi… (he) lost a bit of form, had a couple of injuries. Otherwise, he most probably would have been in the squad and there wouldn’t have been any controversial stuff back home,” he added.

At the moment, Cricket South Africa doesn’t have a committee of selectors and the team is picked by head coaches Shukri Conrad (Tests) and Rob Walter (white-ball cricket).

“Sometimes these things happen and it puts you under a bit of pressure as a selection panel and as a coach and a captain,” de Villiers said.

“From what I remember is with the quota system, it’s an average team, an average number over the season and they don’t really look at every series, but as journalists sometimes enjoy steaming up things a bit,” he tried to put things in context.

Following the selection of the squad earlier this month, former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and former CSA and ICC president Ray Mali questioned the composition of the side.

“Only one African player selected in the Proteas Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 Team. Definitely a reserval (reversal) of the gains of transformation and doesn’t reflect fair representation of all South Africans in the national cricket tea,” Mbalula wrote on X.

On SABC Sport, Mali said the game is heading backwards in the country.

“I believe a lot has been achieved, but I believe we have gone backwards in terms of cricket – we have taken a step backwards instead of going forward,” said Mali.

But de Villiers was a bit more empathetic towards those who made the choices and said he does not see anything sinister in the process.

“Maybe they are short. Maybe they are well within their right to do whatever they were needed to do in this World Cup.

“Keeping in mind there were a couple of injuries, a couple of out of form players. It’s never easy,” he said.

On the upside, South Africa’s IPL stars have displayed ominous form in the preceding T20 league and that would surely give them confidence to go the distance in the World Cup too.

Impact Player rule in IPL needs to be relooked ============================ Talking about the recently-concluded IPL, de Villiers said the Impact Player rule , which helped teams amass 250-plus totals as many as eight times this season, needs to be revised.

“…what I really didn’t enjoy about the rule is actually subbing players who have already taken part in the game. That part of the rule doesn’t make sense. I feel it needs to be a fair swap.

“If someone hasn’t taken part in the game, he needs to be swapped. If you feel that you are going to lack in the bowling or batting department, it’ll just make it a bit harder to strategise and it’ll be more of a risk to swap someone.” He also wants more than two fielders outside the ring in the powerplay.

“I still feel T20 cricket needs to be a batters game, that’s why the fans come to the parks. They want to see the ball flying all over the park and into the night sky,” he said.

“But I still you still want to see the bowlers outsmart batters sometimes…in the first six overs by maybe easing up on the restrictions.

“Whether that’s four or five outside, I don’t know exactly but at least the bowler can plan,” he reasoned. 

AB de Villiers reckons that MS Dhoni should captain CSK as long as he is playing.© BCCI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli was at the center of heavy criticism over his performances in the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. As RCB lost 7 of their first 8 games of the tournament, Kohli was one of the players blamed for the team’s poor run, with his strike-rate becoming a constant talking point. Even the great Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at Virat for his lack of intent, prompting a reply from the RCB star too. Now, AB de Villiers has also joined the debate, saying it wasn’t pleasing for him to see Virat in the line of fire.

De Villiers, in a chat on Jio Cinema, even recalled his own experience of playing against Kohli, saying his message to teammates would be “do not say anything to Virat” as criticism seems to get the best out of him.

“I thought it was… really bad for someone like that for a hero and a role model of the country to get so much criticism around that. But the way I know him, I just knew and that’s exactly what I mentioned on my show. I said, guys, you have no idea what happens to this guy when he catches criticism. The many years I’ve played against him, I used to tell the players in the team room, you do not say one word to Virat on the pitch because he will come out and he will score a big 100 if you try and chirp him,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, getting a bit of criticism, because stuff like that motivates him so much,” he added.

Speaking of Virat’s role at the T20 World Cup, De Villiers even went against the popular suggestion, saying the marquee batter shouldn’t open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, and continue occupying the No. 3 spot.

“I feel he’s a number three batsman and that’s where he’s most impactful. He’s almost like the captain of the batting team everywhere he goes. He keeps the calmness and the composure within the batting unit,” the former South Africa captain said.

“I know Virat himself really enjoys opening, which is great. You’ve got to respect that from a man who’s played the game for many years. He understands his game really well and he understands what he wants out of the game as well.

“But if I was playing a TV game, Xbox, he would come in at number three in my team. I feel there’s too much risk in those first couple of overs to go and ask Virat to take the game on, to hit the ball in the air. All I want him to do is to bat between overs 4 and 16-17, somewhere there.

“I feel that’s where he’s best in the world by a country mile and that’s where he’s most impactful,” he asserted.

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© BCCI