NEW DELHI: Former South African batting legend
AB de Villiers
has weighed in on the absence of Indian wicketkeeper-batter
Ishan Kishan
from international cricket, emphasizing the need for clear communication between
players
and team management during such challenging situations.
Kishan, who last played a T20I match against Australia in November, requested a break from the Test squad during the South Africa series due to personal reasons.
Despite being in the T20I squad for the South Africa tour, he did not feature in any matches and has been absent from the ongoing
Ranji Trophy
as well.
Reflecting on this situation, de Villiers, speaking on a YouTube channel, shared his own experiences with managing career challenges, particularly towards the end of his playing days.
He highlighted the complexity of managing career priorities amidst the proliferation of T20 leagues like the IPL, which demand significant attention from players.
De Villiers emphasized the importance of proper communication between players and team management or the board, stating, "Whether Ishan is doing it wrong or other players are doing it right or wrong, I do not know but what needs to happen is proper communication."
Acknowledging the difficulties associated with managing one's career, de Villiers extended his best wishes to all players grappling with similar challenges.
"Managing the career is something I found extremely difficult in the backend of my career," he admitted, underscoring the necessity of clear and regular communication to ensure players are aware of their standing and roles within the team.
The former South African batter's comments come in the wake of Indian head coach
Rahul Dravid
's statement regarding Kishan's absence, where Dravid emphasized the player's choice in deciding when to make a comeback and the importance of playing some cricket before returning to the national side.
(With inputs from ANI)
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