Cricket fans across the globe are unlikely to see AB de Villiers in whites again as the South African batsman seems to have made up his mind to retire from Test cricket. The right-hander, who last played a Test for the Proteas in January 2016, is reportedly willing to convey his decision to Cricket South Africa (CSA) when he meets the board in August, after his two-month break.
De Villiers' recent run in Tests has been marred by injury concerns and the elbow injury he suffered right after Caribbean Premier League in June 2016, saw him sit out of three Test series -- tours to Australia and New Zealand and the home encounter against Sri Lanka.
The 33-year-old, who stepped down as captain in the longer format last season, also revealed in January that he will be skipping the upcoming South Africa's four-Test series against England, starting July 10 and the subsequent two-match series against Bangladesh at home. De Villiers though maintained that he will be back and prepare himself for the high-profile series against India towards the end of 2017 and the Australian series that will follow the visit of Virat Kohli's men.
However, it has now come to light that De Villiers had spoken to CSA about his decision to retire from Test cricket in 2016 itself and was only persuaded to stay on by the governing body of South African cricket, according to a report on ESPNcricinfo.
It is evident that a hectic limited-overs schedule has taken a toll on the South African batsman's ability to continue playing all three formats of the game. Also, the pressure on the ODI skipper after failures at Champions Trophy and the recently-concluded T20I series in England would have helped him make up his mind to streamline focus only on limited-overs cricket.
De Villiers, who has represented his country in 106 Tests, is one of the most sought out players in Twenty20 leagues across the globe and he has remained a key member of Indian Premier League's Royal Challengers Bangalore side. Even during the 2017 IPL season, the South African batsman had struggled with back injuries and missed quite a few crucial matches, which was one of the reasons for the team's dismal campaign.
The hard hitter had conceded that injuries have haunted him in the recent past and that he "fooled" himself by not paying heed to his body condition. It is now evident that De Villiers would be looking to sacrifice his Test career to make sure he gives himself a chance to chase glory at ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.
Former South African skipper Graeme Smith, in his column for the Independent, hinted the same by saying De VIlliers was looking to move away from Test cricket last year. He also added that that the RCB star does not have anything left to prove and that he is doing his best to prolong his international career.
"AB [De Villiers] has already made huge sacrifices for South African cricket, over such a long period of time, and with the next ICC World Cup just two years away, it's likely that he is targeting that tournament as a swansong to his already illustrious career at the top level," Smith wrote, as quoted by the report.
"It is my belief that AB was looking to walk away from the Test game last year at some point, but has been encouraged to carry on by CSA," he added.
He further said: "His personal prerogative is ensuring he does all he can to add as much longevity to his international career as possible, as well as taking into account the harsh realities of touring such as the amount of travel involved, and the toll that takes on your body."
