Visiting South African team are planning to use their weapons more effectively against Bangladesh as their Twenty20 captain Faf du Plessis indicated on Saturday that their most lethal batsman AB de Villiers could bat higher in the order. De Villiers, the owner of quickest century of one-day internationals and regarded as one of the most lethal batsmen of recent time could bat at the opening slot or at number three during the two Twenty20s and three ODIs against hosts Bangladesh in the upcoming series.
The 31-year talisman came to open for his side in their only practice match of the series against the BCB XI, where the right hander had batted most comfortably before retired on 25 to provide some batting practice for his team-mates.
‘We are going to bring AB a little bit earlier and that’s our plan. Whether it’s going to be open or three we are still talking about it,’ du Plessis hinted about their plans.
‘But it’s definitely a higher role than he used to have,’ du Plessis confirmed the mindset of Proteas think-tanks, who faced barrages of criticisms as many believed that they lost the semi-final match of the last Twenty20 world cup because De Villiers batted down the order.
De Villiers has batted at three in 16 of his 57 Twenty20 internationals and in 12 of those innings, he has not scored over 20 and only twice has managed to score a half-century with the highest score of 69 not out against England at Chittagong.
He has only opened once, t against Pakistan in March 2013, and was the top scorer with 36 off 22 balls, in a failed chase of 196.
He is however not a complete strangers to opening the innings as he began his career in ODIs as an opener. In his first eight ODIs he played as an opener before moving down the order.
-With New Age input
