Stronger leadership, collective effort needed for Proteas to be the best: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers has demanded stronger leadership — from players and coaches — to propel the Proteas to the higher echelons of the international game. 

“We have shown in all the formats that we are pretty close,” said De Villiers, who was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. “The talent is there. Inconsistency comes from leadership and we need some of the experienced guys to stand up. We are at a crossroads in all the formats and we need leaders.”

Both Proteas captains — Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram — have faced severe criticism, even as the teams they have led — Bavuma the Test and ODI groups and Markram the T20 side — have achieved unexpected positive results. 

Despite being hampered by form and injury Bavuma still led the Proteas to the semifinals of last year’s ODI World Cup, while Markram was the first captain to guide a Proteas team into the final of an ICC event at the T20 World Cup. Ahead of four home Tests in the next few weeks, the Proteas are also in contention to qualify for the World Test Championship final. 

But De Villiers, part of a Proteas Test team that was regarded as the best in the world from 2008 to 2014, feels senior players and coaches need to drive processes that create consistency. “I think back to Graeme Smith, he played an integral part in us being consistent, because he was consistent as a captain, he really pushed us hard,” said De Villiers. 

“But I’m not talking only about captaincy. It’s about leadership whether that comes from the senior players or the coaches ... it’s what is lacking, and it’s stopping us from being consistent.”

While there have been calls from some of De Villiers’ old teammates for Proteas limited overs coach Rob Walter to be fired and even for Markram to be axed, De Villiers pleaded for patience.

“The coaches are new, so it might take a bit of time.” 

Look at where India is after 16 years of the IPL, they seem to have two or three teams that they can pick at any time that can beat any team around the world.

—  AB de Villiers

Both Walter and his Test counterpart Shukri Conrad, who will reach two years in their roles in February next year, have had to work upstream for periods of their tenure. Conrad was denied the country’s best players for a tour to New Zealand — while outside the World Cups, Walter has also been casting the selection net far and wide in an attempt to accelerate the growth of young cricketers, and also satisfying CSA's transformation demands. 

The SA20, which was supposed to be the balm to all the wounds in South African cricket, is yet to deliver in ways many had anticipated, which De Villiers explained was unreasonable.

“You can’t see the results yet,” said De Villiers, who has an ambassadorial role with the SA20. “You can speculate, we have seen some youngsters come through. The real results will be seen in four to five years’ time. It will have a similar trend as the IPL, where it took a few years.”

Its effect on the national team may not be noticeable yet, but the fact that Ottneil Baartman, who’d plied his trade domestically with little wider fanfare, got picked for the World Cup after two outstanding seasons in the tournament, underlines the potential the tournament holds. 

“Look where India is after 16 years of the IPL, they seem to have two or three teams that they can pick at any time that can beat any team around the world. They won the World Cup [this year], but it took them a while to get there,” said De Villiers. 

Walter made no bones about the importance with which he has regarded the SA20, saying it was the primary source of intel for him when it came to picking the team for this year’s World Cup.   

But De Villiers cautioned that in its present guise, the SA20 shouldn’t be the only guide when it came to picking the Proteas.

“The one thing in the IPL is that [India’s] selectors have decided the same thing as Rob [about the importance of the SA 20] and they pick on performance. I love that, but the IPL is twice as long [as SA20].” 

“You can pick from that competition, because it's a two-and-a-half-month tournament. It's a marathon for the players. You can’t get away with one good knock. You must have 14 to 15 good games. I know it’s difficult with window periods and the ICC schedule, but if the SA20 can increase to a few more games, so that players who are not ready [for international cricket] really get exposed while those who are ready will come through.”

“I appreciate that it’s part of its strength that it is a month-long tournament, but if you want to pick Proteas from just that, in my opinion it's a bit short.”