Veteran South Africa batter Faf du Plessis has reportedly met with new Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter to discuss his potential return to international cricket. Although he retired from Test cricket two years ago, he has expressed his willingness to play in the ODI and T20I formats.
Despite his availability, the Proteas selectors overlooked him for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup squads. However, du Plessis continues to excel in T20 leagues worldwide, and he was recently the second-highest run-scorer in the SA20 tournament, with 369 runs at an average of 41.00 and a strike rate of 147.60.
Du Plessis played his last ODI match for South Africa against Australia at the 2019 World Cup, while his last T20I was against England in late 2020. He hopes to make a comeback to the team soon and make a valuable contribution with his experience and skills.
According to Rapport newspaper, du Plessis recently held talks with coach Walter. However, it is unclear whether he will be included in the T20I squad for the upcoming West Indies series, which will be announced on Monday, March 6.
In the meantime, Aiden Markram is expected to replace Temba Bavuma as the T20I captain. Markram led the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to victory in the SA20 tournament, after which he was named captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the upcoming IPL season.
Du Plessis’ return to the team could add strength to the batting order and bring valuable experience to the Proteas. However, whether he will be given a chance to prove his mettle in the upcoming series remains to be seen.
Du Plessis will also be gearing up for the upcoming IPL as he is a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team. The 38-year-old was appointed as the RCB captain after Virat Kohli announced to leave his captaincy role.
