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Coronavirus pandemic could scupper De Villiers' Proteas comeback

The coronavirus pandemic could scupper any hopes of AB de Villiers making a return to the Proteas team for the T20 World Cup.

The 36-year-old was thought to be considering coming out of retirement and making a return to international cricket for the tournament that is scheduled to start in Australia in October.

De Villiers was thought to want to play in the IPL first before making himself available for the Proteas but the T20 franchise event is in danger of being cancelled.

The ICC could also postpone the T20 World Cup to next year, which De Villiers says will make him rethink any decision about his future.

De Villiers told Rapport: "If the tournament is postponed to next year, a whole lot of things will change.

"At the moment I feel available but at the same time, I don't know how my body will feel then and if I will be fit.

"If I am 100% as good as I want to be, then I will be available.

"But if I am not, I won't open myself up to that because I am not the type of person who does things at 80%."

If De Villiers does make a return to international cricket, he does not just want to walk straight back into the Proteas side.

The batsman revealed he will have to show he is still in good form and impress national coach Mark Boucher.

De Villiers said: "I'll have to do the trials and show Boucher I'm still good enough.

"They should choose me because I'm really better than the guy next to me.

"I've never been the type of person who felt I should get just what I wanted.

"I can't walk into the team. Like every other player, I have to work for my place and deserve it."

The Proteas are scheduled to play white-ball matches in Sri Lanka in June and five T20Is in the West Indies in July-August which de Villiers could be part of but those games are in doubt because of the current coronavirus pandemic.

- TEAMtalk media

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