Durban. The recent test series played between India and South Africa was much talked about. Team India won the second and last match in just one and a half days. The first match was won by the host team and with the second win the series became level at 1-1. Great South African batsman AB de Villiers is upset with the fact that only two Test matches were played in the recently concluded series between India and South Africa. For this he blamed the T20 leagues running rampant across the world.
The Test series played between India and South Africa ended 1-1 with the host team winning the opening Test in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs while the visiting team won the second Test in Cape Town by seven wickets. While advocating a big series, de Villiers said that if the best team in the world is to be known then ‘something will have to change’.
De Villiers said on his YouTube channel, “I am not happy that there was no third Test in the series. You have to blame T20 cricket which is being played all over the world for this. I don’t know who to blame but I think something is wrong. If you want to see all the teams competing and see who is the best team in the world, then something has to change.
South Africa will now tour New Zealand in February, which will also be for a two-Test series. But when Cricket South Africa announced the second-tier team for this series, everyone was surprised because ‘uncapped’ (who has not played international cricket) Neil Brand will lead the team.
The dates of this series coincide with the second phase of the SA20 League (South Africa T20 League) which will be played between 10 January and 10 February in which most of the South African players are playing. De Villiers feels that Test cricket is under pressure and admitted that players and coaches will choose only those tournaments which are paying good money.
He said, “This has created a stir in cricket around the world and has made it clear that Test cricket is under pressure and even ODI cricket because the whole system is leaning towards T20 cricket.” Players, boards and coaches will lean towards where there is more money. You can’t blame them because they are thinking about their future with their families.
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Tags: AB De Villiers, India vs South Africa
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 7, 2024, 20:24 IST