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Cape Town - AB de Villiers remains captain of the Proteas Test team despite the 4-5 months he is likely to spend recovering from elbow surgery and also the stunning success of his temporary successor, Faf du Plessis.
According to the supersport.com website, national selection convenor, Linda Zondi, will face a painfully difficult decision when De Villiers has completed his rehabilitation - which member of the current top six will make way for him?
“We will just all be happy when he’s fit again,” Zondi said with a smart sidestep.
“We’ll take that decision when he is and we’ll be guided by the medical team.”
“He will have been away for at least four months, which is a long time, so he will have to get match fit first,” Zondi said in Hobart on Wednesday following South Africa’s triumphant series win against Australia.
“We are very happy for Faf as the stand-in captain, but AB is still the captain. It gives us options, we know we have leaders within the squad, there is Hashim, too, and Faf has shown great leadership qualities.”
“It was an easy decision to appoint him as the test stand-in because he was already the T20 captain.”
“Every selection decision is tough. We need to ask ‘how do players suit a particular role?’ and ‘which roles to we want in the team?’ But we’re comfortable with our decisions.”
“At the moment it’s clear to us that Faf is the stand-in and AB is the captain. We will see when AB comes back and how his fitness is,” Zondi said.
Following the third and final Test against Australia starting on Thursday, November 24, the Proteas will return home for a three-Test, three-T20 and five-ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Port Elizabeth.
