AB de Villiers aims to help Proteas return to the top of the Test rankings

South African swashbuckling batsman AB de Villiers is set to make his comeback to the longer format of the game after a break of almost two years. However, the right-hander revealed that his motivation for returning to red ball cricket is to help the rainbow nation regain the numero uno position in the Test rankings this summer. The second placed South African team kickoff their challenge against the number 1 Test team, on January 5, in Newlands.

De Villiers, 33, played his last Test against England in Centurion in January 2016, following which he took a voluntary break from Test cricket with an eye on the 2019 World Cup in England. His last outing in Test cricket was a forgettable experience as he registered a pair of ducks‚ first dismissed by Stuart Broad and then by James Anderson.

Speaking of his ambitions ahead of the tour, De Villiers said, “Obviously we’d like to be No.1 in the world‚ we are not far away. We know if we win a few series in the next two or three months against very tough opposition we can achieve that. That will be nice to be that No.1 team in the world again and to maintain it for a few years.”

The Proteas can climb to the top of the ICC Test rankings if results go their way this summer in the home series against Zimbabwe which starts on Boxing Day and India and Australia next year.

The Test against Zimbabwe will help De Villiers ease back into the fold ahead of India visit

The dynamic right-hander, who returned to the squad after a voluntary sabbatical relinquished the captaincy during his extended break which is now held by Faf du Plessis.

He has since reaffirmed his commitment to the longer format, and the upcoming game against Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth will allow him to ease back into the fold ahead of the three-Test series against India starting in Cape Town on January 5.

The country will stage its first ever day-night Test, a one-off match in Port Elizabeth from December 26 to 29.