Cricket news round-up – December 18: ‘People want AB to play’ – du Plessis reveals de Villiers could do U-turn on international retirement

Cricket news round-up – December 18: ‘People want AB to play’ – du Plessis reveals de Villiers could do U-turn on international retirement

IPL 2019 12 AB de Villiers ABD Orange Purple Cap Royal Challengers Bangalore RCB

AB de Villiers could do a U-turn on his international retirement, with South Africa Test captain Faf du Plessis revealing he was exploring the possibility of returning to the side in time for the T20 World Cup. Elsewhere, the Qatar T10 league is under a fixing cloud, and Peter Siddle has replaced Josh Hazlewood for the Boxing Day Test.

AB de Villiers could return to South Africa for T20 World Cup

Faf du Plessis has confirmed AB de Villiers is exploring the possibility of coming out of retirement for the T20 World Cup next year.

South Africa’s new coach Mark Boucher had said he was open to asking de Villiers about a possible return, and captain du Plessis has now revealed talks on the matter have been ongoing for a few months.

“People want AB to play and I am no different,” du Plessis said after his Paarl Rocks side beat the Tshwane Spartans in the MSL final. “Those conversations have been happening for two or three months already: what does it look like, how does it look over the next year, and that’s where it starts.”

Qatar T10 under fixing scanner

ICC have confirmed the Qatar T10 League is under a fixing investigation, after they intercepted a number of “known corruptors” at the competition.

The tournament was sanctioned by the ICC 10 months ago, and the team’s organisers engaged the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, two of whose officials were deployed at the tournament.

“The ICC sanctioned this event 12 months ago based on the sound information provided by the organisers,” said Alex Marshall, the GM of the ICC ACU. “However, substantial changes to both team ownership and the organisers just days prior to the event getting underway rang alarm bells for us, and we applied additional investigative resource on the ground to address our concerns.”

Charl Langeveldt quits as Bangladesh role to join South Africa revolution

Charl Langeveldt has quit his role as Bangladesh bowling coach – a decision accepted by the BCB – and taken up an offer from Cricket South Africa.

Langeveldt leaves his role less than five months after taking it up on July 27. “Langeveldt said he has offer to work in South Africa’s senior side, which is why he requested the BCB to let him go,” Akram Khan, the BCB cricket operations committee chairman, told Prothom Alo on Tuesday. “We have decided to release him.”

Langeveldt is expected to join the South Africa’s new coaching staff under head coach Mark Boucher.

Siddle replaces Hazlewood for Boxing Day Test

Peter Siddle, the Australia veteran pace bowler, has replaced the injury Josh Hazlewood in the squad for the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand.

Siddle will be in line to play another home Test at the MCG – Treveor Hohns, the national selector, talked up his chances, given his familiarity with the conditions at The Gabba – and Siddle himself was quite hopeful of making the cut. “It’s always hard to say, isn’t it?” he said on his chances of playing. “At the end of the day, there’ve been two guys on standby throughout the previous series and this Test against New Zealand. I’m probably down the pecking order a little bit but yeah it’s nice to be back in the squad. Home-ground and a ground I bowl well at. So that’s all I can hope for and we’ll see what happens in four days,” Siddle said of his selection.”