Undoubtedly, AB de Villiers is one of the greatest cricketers of all time. His inventive shots and skills in the field have made many young cricketers look up to him as their idol. However, even the most remarkable men in history have few critics that open up over time. Although he was a great captain for South Africa, his role as a captain has received few accusations from his former teammates.
Allegations on AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers has been slammed by his former teammate Khaya Zondo for not giving him a chance to play on his debut match. He opened up a few allegations on his ex-captain after Thami Tsolekile, a former South African cricketer, revealed few instances where he was denied to play for the national side.
Khaya Zondo made his debut in the year 2018 for an ODI match against India. Earlier in 2017, he represented the Dolphins Cricket Team as a captain and played for the national side in 2018. Having said that, recently, he recalled how AB de Villiers denied him a place in the playing XI. Speaking to Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Social Justice and Nation Building hearing, Zondo told how he was discriminated in the past.
“The captain (AB de Villiers) called me over to the side, away from the rest of the team, and mentioned to me he was the one who felt I should not play. He was trying to explain himself, and he was taking full responsibility for the decision.” – Khaya Zondo.
Khaya Zondo’s reason to rebel
He mentioned that in the absence of JP Duminy who got injured during an ODI series against India in 2015, the former captain was very stubborn to bring Dean Elgar to the squad, who was not even in the original team.
Although Zondo was reportedly fit to replace Duminy, he was not given a chance to make his debut. De Villiers was so strong in his decision that he went to a point where he was ready to walk out of the tour if Zondo was given a chance to play. On the other hand, Zondo said he couldn’t believe that such behavior came from a man he admired the most. Zondo concluded that watching other cricketers getting a chance to play ahead of him was one of the most challenging phases in his life.
“I remember in the moment of him explaining himself to me, losing all respect for him as a captain, and as someone I looked up to as a cricketing hero of mine, because I could not believe this guy was trying to justify himself to me. It was as if I should accept this decision because the decision came from him.” – Khaya Zondo.
