Former South African captain AB de Villiers recently expressed his interest in pursuing coaching roles soon. While he clarified that he is not currently a contender to be Team India’s next head coach, he did not entirely rule out the possibility for the future.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is accepting applications for the position of head coach for the men’s team, with a deadline of May 27, 2024. Current head coach Rahul Dravid is eligible to reapply.
De Villiers mentioned that he would enjoy coaching a team and believes his experience could benefit many players. The 40-year-old indicated that, while he isn’t currently seeking coaching positions, he may consider such opportunities in the future.
In an interview with News18 Cricketnext, AB de Villiers said:
“I absolutely have no idea. And I do think I’ll enjoy coaching. I think there’s certain elements I won’t enjoy as much, which I will have to learn. With time, anything is possible and I can think on my feet and learn as I move on.”
“But I think there are elements of a coaching job that I’ll enjoy a lot. Things that I’ve learned over the years, the maturity that I’ve got now at the age of 40, looking back, a lot of things look a lot clearer when I look back at my career.”
”So those kind of learnings could be valuable for some younger players, even some senior players.”
“And I would love to work with some players and some teams in that regard. As a full-time head coach, that’s not something that comes to mind as of yet. It’s not something that really appeals to me now. But as I said, never say never. Down the line, things might change.”
AB de Villiers retired from international cricket on May 23, 2018, concluding his career with a total of 20,014 runs across all formats.
“They are definitely one of the main contenders to win the trophy” –AB de Villiers shares his thoughts on Team India ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup
AB de Villiers discussed the leading contenders for the 2024 T20 World Cup, naming India as one of the favorites. He highlighted how the IPL has helped uncover many promising white-ball players for the country. The former cricketer turned analyst said:
“It must be boring, but I always mention India when it comes to that (World Cup predictions), especially the white-ball cricket, because of the IPL over the years.”
”I just think there’s so much talent that’s come through. It doesn’t mean they’re going to win it, but they are definitely one of the main contenders to win the trophy.”
India will begin their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5.
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