'It's a global cricketing issue' - AB de Villiers calls for better communication between boards and players amidst hectic schedule

Former South African skipper and batting legend AB de Villiers is concerned with the decreasing hunger among cricketers to play all three formats due to hectic schedule. He feels the need for better communication between the boards and their players to manage the latter's workload across different formats.

AB de Villiers, who entertained spectators all around the globe with his unmatchable shot-manufacturing abilities, shocked the world after announcing his international retirement in 2018. While the Proteas great was at his supreme best in white-ball formats, he was no slouch in the longest format of the game either.

However, he feels that the players and boards need to have an honest conversation about their preference for any particular format in order to manage their workload. Although he does not want players to give up on a specific format, he feels it has become increasingly necessary for maintaining their 'hunger' for the game.

"I don't want to be the guy to just say give up a format or two. And once again, it's a global cricketing issue at the moment to keep the players inspired to play all formats of the game for their countries. But I do think there's room with the various boards around the world to pinpoint players.

"To have community discussions and communication early on in players’ careers, to understand what they want to achieve, first of all, and secondly, where they fit in with regards to cricket in their own country to represent the country internationally," de Villiers was quoted saying by The Hindu.

I think during my career communication could have been better from my side: ABD

Even though the mushrooming of franchise leagues across the globe has divided opinions among experts, the former South African star hailed the impact of domestic leagues, citing the example of batting sensations Suryakumar Yadav and Dewald Brevis. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2021 and feels that he could have prolonged his career with better communication with the South African board.

"But also to be happy to play leagues around the world. And gain experience, it's invaluable. We spoke about it earlier, players like SKY (Suryakumar), Dewald Brevis, and myself, the way we took our games to the next level, largely because of these leagues. And I think during my career communication could have been better from my side, but also from the Cricket South Africa side to make sure that we plan accordingly. So it comes down to communication," said 'Mr.360'.