AB de Villiers’ absence a big loss but never write-off South Africa: Nasser Hussain

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has warned England that South Africa cannot be ruled out despite the absence of captain AB de Villiers. The former South African Test captain had opted to stay out of Test cricket so as to keep himself fit for the shorter formats of the game. The Proteas play England in the first Test of the four-match series at Lord’s starting July 6.

Test skipper Faf du Plessis will also miss the first Test against England due to family reasons. Du Plessis had to fly back home for the birth of his first child and will be unable to return in time to lead the side in the opener of the four-Test series. Faf’s wife, Imari gave birth to a girl. Dean Elgar has instead been bestowed with captain duties in du Plessis’ absence.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Nasser Hussain said, “De Villiers is a big loss. They will argue that they’ve lived on without De Villiers through the last year or so and they’ve moved themselves up. They’ve played some very good cricket. They have beaten Australia three times, India, they’ve played well all around the world. They travel well, they’ve got a good record in England.”

T20 leagues have taken its toll on world-class players

Hussain also emphasised that ABD is a big name and his absence will leave an inevitable void in the dressing room. De Villiers’ decision to not play the upcoming series was deemed to be a “red flag” for the future of Test cricket by the MCC World Cricket committee.

MCC committee member Brendon McCullum revealed that T20 leagues around the world have put a lot of pressure on players to make a decision. The cricket committee subsequently over recent years has petitioned for a revision of the sport’s laws which have majorly been incorporated into the ICC Playing Regulations.