Johann de Jager

Bloemfontein – AB de Villiers’ chances of being named South Africa’s new Twenty20 captain may be derailed by a foot injury.

Sport24 reported on Thursday that the 26-year-old Proteas hero has the inside track to skipper the blitz side following Graeme Smith’s sudden decision to stand down.

The 29-year-old opening batsman also announced at a press conference in Johannesburg that he would be quitting as captain of the one-day side after next year’s Word Cup in India, Sri Lankia and Bangladesh.

De Villiers is one of the candidates that are being considered as successor to Smith for the Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe, but is still recovering from recent foot surgery. The two-game series starts in Bloemfontein on October 8.

Proteas coach Corrie van Zyl said that he would ascertain early next month how De Villiers is progressing with his recovery. De Villiers is still on crutches.

Van Zyl added that he would find out the reasons for Smith’s sudden resignation when he returns from Sri Lanka with the South Africa A side.

“I won’t be commenting on it now,” he said.

“I’ll talk to him when I get back to hear what his thinking was.”

Smith will have to explain to the coach why he did not inform him of the decision prior to the announcement. He also only informed family, friends and team-mates by SMS a few hours before standing down.

Meanwhile, the last of the two “Tests” between SA A and Sri Lanka’s second string also ended in a draw on Thursday.

The two sides will now play in a triangular one-day series with Pakistan A from the first week of September.