Faf’s shocking revelations
While the South African batsmen were sinking against the
English bowlers on fourth day at Manchester, I was thinking, what might AB de
Villiers have been doing during that time? Was he feeling sad or the situation
did not mean much to him? Perhaps, he was busy music or cinema or dealing
things with a franchise? Ah, such thoughts are negative. I should think
positively as AB loves to play wearing the white clothes. 8074 Test runs at an
average of 50.46 indicates about the man’s passion for Test cricket.
After the defeat at Manchester, in the post match press
conference, Faf du Plessis revealed, AB is unlikely to play Test cricket anymore
and the Proteas must accept that. He
said,”The last time I spoke to him, he wasn’t keen to play yet again. So from
my point of view I’m not expecting him to come back. "Whether we win or
lose people always want AB to play, because he is the best player in the team.
“But we’ve played a year and a half without him. I hope that
he comes back and plays, but I’m not expecting him to, and I’m preparing to
look ahead without him. I need to try and get it out there that people must
expect that it's probably not going to happen. We don’t want to lie about it.
If he’s not coming back, then he’s not coming back, but I can't make that
decision for AB. AB has earned the right to do whatever he wants to. He’s
played 100 Tests, he’s played away from home for 12 years. He’s done everything
he could possibly achieve, apart from winning the World Cup”.
“He just wants to
spend more time with his family. That's AB's only reason”.
Yesterday on Times of
India, Jonty Rhodes said, “I think he wanted to retire a while back from Test
cricket, but Cricket South Africa persuaded him to stay on. Before 2016, he was
talking to people about his Test future”.
Team comes first and not own comfortability
Everyone is entitled to express his opinion and take his own
decision, but when a person is one of the stalwarts of a team, he must bear in
mind about the benefits of his country and team. If his absence creates a big
hole, then, he must not think about his own comfortability. In the name of free
thinking and so called democracy, he should not ignore the interest of his
team.
Just have a look at
Mashrafe Mortaza from Bangladesh. Despite all the setbacks in his cricketing
career, Mash never stepped back, but always rose to the occasion to give his
best shot for Bangladesh. AB, like you, he also has a family and personal life,
but for a single moment, he does not think about himself when the duty of delivering
the best for the country comes. He is not lucky enough to extend his Test
career like you due to injuries, but if he was playing Test cricket, his
thinking would not have been selfish like you.
Then, look at
Mushfiqur Rahim. As a Test captain, most of the times, he is taken to the
cleaners. But still, he never thought of stepping back from Test captaincy and
shun playing Test matches. Time and again, he is trying his level best to prove
a point and recently, he has started to deliver.
What about the best allrounder in the world Shakib Al Hasan?
He has a personal life and is busier than his teammates as he features in many
of the franchise leagues. But whenever, the country needs him, he shuns money
and personal life and plays for Bangladesh like a Tiger.
At times, he suffers a harsh treatment from the fans and
critics, but never, ever decided to stay away from playing for the team. He
loves to play Test cricket and knows his worth in the team. Like you, Shakib
never even thought of stop playing Tests and give his daughter and wife more
time and relax and enjoy life by playing Twenty20 Leagues.
In your own country, Jac Kallis and Gareme Smith earned the
rights to decide whatever they wish. But they never decided to abandon their
teammates in testing times. They glorified South Africa in Tests despite
playing franchise leagues. They made South Africa the number one team in the
world and made them unbeatable at home and away for a brief period.
Would Hashim Amla ever think like you? Not at all.
That’s why Kallis, Smith and Amla would be remembered as the legends
of the game, while you would always be regarded just as an entertainer who
sacrificed his soul for the sake of own comfortability and cash. You are yet to
earn the right to express your own wish as because, I don’t think, a person who
prefers own benefits at the cost of his country and great format of the game, loses
the credibility to say about rights!
My respect for AB is finished
AB and Chris Gayle are one of those players who seek
sympathy by citing issues like families, problems with boards, players rights
etc. etc. and stay away from playing Test cricket for the sake of earning cash
in Twenty20 Leagues. Such cricketers don’t deserve any sympathies but a lot of
hatred as for such cricketers, Test cricket is insulted time and again. Their
absence always strip Test cricket and allow the paid commentators of Taamasha
Leagues to say, the future of Test cricket is bleak!
Twenty20 is a curse
I am not sure, how long the International Cricket Council
would remain silent about the adverse effects of these Twnety20 Leagues? This
format of the game is the bustard child of one-day international cricket and
day by day, it is destroying the wonderful game. This format is not a
revolution but a curse as it is intoxicating the souls of the players and slow
poisoning cricket each second by injecting over flow of cash, late night
parties, free sex, over dose of alcohol and the false theory, Test cricket is
dying.
This format and such Leagues must be stopped!
But will they ever stop?
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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