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Hans India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
AB de Villiers set for blockbuster return in World Championship of Legends
Birmingham: After four years away from competitive cricket, AB de Villiers is set to make a thrilling return to action in the upcoming World Championship of Legends (WCL), which kicks off on July 18. The tournament promises to bring cricket nostalgia to life as global icons from six powerhouse nations reunite on the field across venues in Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds. The much-anticipated WCL 2025, sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), will showcase the talents of some of the most revered cricketers of the modern era. Alongside de Villiers, the tournament features a star-studded line-up including Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Brett Lee, Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, and Sir Alastair Cook. De Villiers, known worldwide as "Mr. 360°" for his unorthodox strokeplay and ability to dominate bowling attacks, will lead the South Africa Champions, a side stacked with talent and experience. Joining him are Albie Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, and Aaron Phangiso, ensuring a potent blend of power and precision that reflects South Africa's cricketing legacy. Speaking ahead of the tournament, de Villiers expressed his excitement about donning South African colours once again: 'There's nothing like playing for South Africa. Being back with this group of legends, in front of fans who've always supported us, is truly special. WCL is a celebration of cricket's spirit — and we're here not just to participate, but to compete and ultimately to win,' he said. The WCL offers fans a rare opportunity to witness some of their all-time favourite players back in action, reigniting rivalries and showcasing the camaraderie and competitiveness that once made these stars household names. Whether it's the explosive batting of Chris Gayle and Pollard, the swing and pace of Brett Lee, or the tactical nous of captains like Morgan and Cook, every match promises a mix of flair and fierce competition.
India Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
A Bumrah surprise? AB de Villiers offers optimistic take on ENG vs IND Test series
Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers has said it's unfortunate that India are grappling with workload concerns surrounding Jasprit Bumrah, adding that it's far from ideal for the Asian giants to be without their pace spearhead for the full duration of the five-Test series in Villiers cited the example of how South Africa used to manage the workload of Dale Steyn ahead of marquee series, suggesting India may have missed a trick in doing the same with of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, selectors, the team management, and Bumrah himself confirmed that the world's top pacer would only play three of the five Test matches in England. Despite his inclusion in the series opener in Leeds, India suffered a five-wicket defeat. Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings after India posted a commanding total of 471, but his solo effort-lacking support from the rest of the bowling unit-wasn't enough. England chased down 371 in the fourth innings to take a 1-0 lead. Despite the defeat, India head coach Gautam Gambhir reiterated that the team's plan regarding Bumrah remains unchanged: he will feature in only two more Tests in the India's first training day in Birmingham-venue for the second Test starting July 2, Bumrah did not bowl. However, hopes of his inclusion were revived when he bowled at full tilt in the nets on on his YouTube show, de Villiers cheekily suggested that India might spring a surprise by playing Bumrah in all five Tests."It is unfortunate that, with an inexperienced bowling attack, he's not going to play all the Test matches-or at least that's what the media and press seem to be saying. Maybe it's all part of a surprise. They're saying 'we are thinking of resting Bumrah', but then he ends up playing all five Tests. India are 1-0 down-hopefully that will be the surprise. But perhaps this is also an opportunity for someone like Arshdeep Singh or Kuldeep Yadav to step up," said de it remains unlikely that Bumrah will play more than three Tests, given how clear he has been about his fitness and workload management. At the start of the series, he confirmed having consulted doctors and trainers about how much his body could handle in the rigours of Test World No. 1 pacer also revealed he had turned down an offer to captain the Test side after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired, prioritising his physical well-being and his long-term availability for de Villiers maintained that India should have planned better to ensure Bumrah was fully available for such a high-stakes probably the best bowler in the world across all formats right now. So, it's incredibly difficult to find the right time to rest him," said de Villiers. "But this Test series-this would've been the one, in my opinion, to get him ready for all five matches. That's how we used to manage Dale (Steyn). We'd rest him for less important T20 and ODI series and make sure he was peaking for major Test tours against Australia, England, India, and sometimes New Zealand, depending on rankings at the time.""I don't know if it was mismanagement, or maybe because he recently returned from injury. Perhaps they saw the IPL as a warm-up phase. It could also be that his surgeon advised against playing five Tests in a row. You have to respect that. But ultimately, it's up to Team India to manage him wisely," he had committed to playing the full five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the 2024-25 season, but his long-standing back injury resurfaced midway through the fifth Test, forcing him out of action. He went on to miss the Champions Trophy, which India won in his Bumrah sit out the second Test in Birmingham, India will be forced to turn to their inexperienced bench, with options like Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh waiting in the wings.- EndsTrending Reel
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Mismanagement of medical advice?': AB de Villiers surprised by Bumrah's limited role in ENG vs IND Test series
South African legendary batter AB de Villiers was surprised by Jasprit Bumrah's workload management and compared how Dale Steyn was rested for 'lesser important' series to make him ready for the big Test series. Indian ace pacer will only be available for three Tests at the ongoing five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Test series against England. India, having lost the first Test at Headingley in Leeds, will reportedly miss the services of Bumrah for the second Test, which is scheduled to be played from July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. 'He (Bumrah) is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now. So, it's very difficult to decide a way to rest him,' de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. 'But in my opinion, Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game. And this Test series probably would've been the one, in my opinion, to get him ready for all five Test matches,' he added. 'That's what we used to do with Dale (Steyn). Rest him in lesser important T20 and ODI series and get him ready for the big Test series against Australia, England, and India away from home… New Zealand to a certain extent, depending on the rankings at that time,' de Villiers explained. The former South African captain questioned India's team management as to what led to the side taking such a call. 'So, I don't know if it was mismanagement or perhaps because he recently got back from injury, sort of saw the IPL as the warmup phase. Maybe, went to the surgeon, who let him know, 'You can't play the five Test matches.' So, I mean you got to respect that, and at the end of the day, it's up to Team India to sort of manage him well,' he said. 'It doesn't get bigger than that, guys, except for maybe the WTC final,' added de Villiers. Earlier, Bumrah clarified his availability in the series. 'Before Rohit and Virat retired during the IPL, I had spoken to the BCCI. I had discussed my workload going forward in a five Test match series. I spoke to the surgeon, who told me to be smart about the workload,' he told Sky Sports. 'So I did speak to him and then we came to a conclusion that I have to be a little more smart. So then I called the BCCI and said I don't want to be looked at for a leadership role. Because I won't be able to play all matches in a five -match series. So yes, the BCCI was looking at me, but then I had to say no, because it's not fair for the team as well as you know in a five-match series, three matches somebody else is leading, two matches, somebody else. It's not fair on the team,' Bumrah explained.
India Today
26-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
ENG vs IND: AB de Villiers gives honest verdict on Rishabh Pant's batting mindset
Legendary South Africa batter AB de Villiers has shared a candid assessment of Rishabh Pant's fearless batting in the opening Test against England at Leeds, where the Indian wicketkeeper-batter struck centuries in both smashed 134 off 178 balls in the first innings, hitting 12 fours and six sixes, and followed it up with a counterattacking 118 off 140 deliveries in the second innings, studded with 15 fours and three sixes. Despite his heroics, India went down by five wickets on the final day, but Pant's performances etched his name in the record his twin hundreds, Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a match. His fearless strokeplay kept the Leeds crowd on the edge of their seats, energizing the contest with a brand of batting rarely seen in the longest format. De Villiers, known for his own aggressive style, praised Pant for playing the game on his terms but pointed out the high-risk nature of his approach."He plays with extreme risk. It's sometimes going to frustrate the living daylights out of you," de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. "I can count 20 occasions where he could have gotten out for under 30 in both innings. But he didn't - and that's the most important thing. He is a player that takes it to the opposition, and 99 out of 100 times, those are your successful sportspeople."advertisementDe Villiers admitted that Pant's audacious shot selection left him baffled at times, but said the results speak for themselves."I was on the couch, going, 'Rishabh, what are you doing? It's not the time and place for this.' But look at the results. That's all that matters. It's a huge shame they couldn't cross the line because he deserved to be the Man of the Match," de Villiers India's defeat in the series opener, de Villiers urged calm, saying there's no need for drastic changes yet."Lots of questions all of a sudden. I know there are a lot of media people around, writing the big headlines - 'we need change'. I don't think it's time to panic yet. It is a five-Test match series," he said.- EndsYou May Also Like
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
World Test Championship: 'Something needs to be done,' AB de Villiers proposes change to WTC format
South Africa beat Australia to win the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. (AP) Former South Africa cricket captain AB de Villiers has called for changes to the World Test Championship (WTC) format, as the 2025-2027 cycle began on Tuesday with Bangladesh taking on Sri Lanka. His comments come after South Africa's victory over Australia in the 2023-2025 WTC final at Lord's, with the new cycle starting just five days after the conclusion of the previous one. The WTC format has faced criticism during the previous cycle, particularly regarding South Africa's qualification for the final. Questions were raised about the fairness of the points system and scheduling, with critics highlighting disparities in the number of matches played and the strength of opposition faced by different teams. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "[This moment] won't be lost. But yes, to a certain extent, something needs to be done. I saw the schedule that came out for the next cycle of the WTC and there is an improvement, but I still feel there's work that needs to be done there to just to get it as consistent as possible and as fair as possible for all for all Test-playing nations," de Villiers told BBC Sport . 'South Africa kept fighting, deserved champions': Pat Cummins De Villiers has proposed extending the WTC cycle to four years, allowing for a more comprehensive competition structure where all participating nations can face each other. "You want to get to that final feeling like you've played against all these nations. Maybe a four-year cycle would be nice. We've done that in the past with one-day internationals, so why not in Test cricket? It would make sense and it would give the organisers just so much more time to get a really fair, well-balanced system out there," he stated. The upcoming 2025-2027 WTC cycle began with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh in a two-match series and will continue with India taking on England in a five-match series. The scheduling of the new cycle has drawn attention, as it begins almost immediately after the conclusion of the previous final, leaving minimal transition time between the two periods. De Villiers, who witnessed South Africa's historic WTC victory at Lord's, expressed confidence in the lasting impact of this achievement on South African cricket. "It's a long time until our next Test match, but there's no doubt it won't be forgotten. I've absolutely no doubt the Proteas have sort of stirred the emotions of the South African cricketing fans and they will patiently wait for that next encounter," he remarked. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
