AB de Villiers impressed with the first half of SA20 League, feels it can help young South African cricketers

South African batting legend AB de Villiers feels that just like the Indian T20 League changed his life, the SA20 League will change the lives of the younger generation in South Africa. De Villiers said it was a huge opportunity for him as he got the chance to share the dressing room with legends from other countries.

“It is difficult to explain the value of youngsters spending time with some of the best players and coaches in the world, I had that experience in 2008 in my very first Indian T20 League. I found myself in the same dressing room as Glenn McGrath, Dan Vettori, Shoaib Malik, Viru Sehwag the list goes on. The impact that had on my game was immense.

“You saw my game grow from 2008 onwards and I took it to the next level,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by the broadcasters on Friday, January 27. “And it was large because of that. Spending time with experienced campaigners from different countries,” De Villiers said following the first half of the League matches.

I would love to work with these batters: AB de Villiers

After watching the match closely, De Villiers kept a close eye on young talent. He spoke about MI Cape Town’s Dewald Brevis, but also talked about the young Sunrisers Eastern Cape opener Jordan Hermann as a player to watch.

Hermann is a 21-year-old emerging batter. He was a late addition to the Sunrisers’ squad after being called up as a wildcard. De Villiers also offered to assist Hermann in his development so the youngster can fulfil his immense potential.

“At the top of my head among the batters is Jordan Hermann. I didn’t even know about him before the tournament to be honest. I heard his name once, and then I watched him bat, and I was really impressed,” the former Proteas captain said.

“I would love to work with these batters. I really have a lot of passion regarding that. You have to evolve as a player. If you stagnate you will end up not enjoying the game. I think there need to be constant check-ups. I think that’s what kept me fresh. I always wanted to raise the bar every single season until the very end.”