Today's Edition
Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
Veteran batsman Faf du Plessis has opened up on prospects of making a return to international cricket on the sidelines of the popular Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. With India set to tour South Africa for three T20Is in December, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to be played just after six months, rumours have been circulating that Faf, along with a couple of other senior players, might be coming back for an international stint.
South Africa started strongly at the recently concluded Cricket World Cup in the one-day internationals format also, but lost their way eventually. Du Plessis was put forth the question in the pre-match broadcast interview before his team Morrisville Samp Army’s clash with Bangla Tigers on Tuesday.
“I believe that I can return to international cricket as well. We have been speaking about this for the last couple of years. It’s just figuring out the balance of the T20 World Cup next year. It’s certainly something we have spoken about with the new coach. Watch this space.”
The 39-year-old continues to be one of the fittest players in cricket at the moment – despite his age. On being asked about his workout routine, Faf said: “I do a lot of hard work to ensure I look after my body to be able to play this brilliant game we love so much.
“When you do get a little bit older, you have to make sure you put in the work. Otherwise, the hamstring and other body parts do not work that well. There is a lot of fast running and a lot of stuff to make sure that level where you can play against the best players in the world.”
This is the second time that the former South Africa captain is competing in the Abu Dhabi T10. Samp Army went on to beat Bangla Tigers by six wickets.
Du Plessis is very popular in India and has been only second in terms of popularity for the two teams he has played in the Indian Premier League in the Twenty20 format. The fans have given him much love after MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli while playing for Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, respectively.
Speaking on his experiences of the cricket’s fastest format in T10, Du Plessis said: “It is certainly easier the second time around. The first time I came, I was thinking that T20 and T10 are very similar, but it’s not. It’s very different. My first year was very much a learning opportunity. Now I am a little bit more comfortable slogging from the first ball.”
Du Plessis also added that he finds the Abu Dhabi T10 an exciting tournament because it has proven to be a platform for developing young talent.
“I think for me the most exciting thing is that there are so many players that surprise you so much. When you play against someone you have not played across, you have to be on top of your end game to compete with the skillset there is,” he signed off.
