De Villiers hopes for Adelaide comeback

AB de Villiers is clinging on to a slim hope of making a comeback sooner than expected, in South Africa’s first day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide. Even though de Villiers has been ruled out for the entire tour with an elbow injury, the man himself believes he could still be part of the series, albeit only for that final Test.

“I am holding on to that. According to the surgeons and the doctors, there’s no chance. They gave me six weeks before rehab starts but I always feel the rehab phase can be sped up a bit,” de Villiers told Five AA radio in Adelaide. “Maybe after the six weeks if I do fly over straight away, I will be there for the second Test match, have the opportunity to prepare during that game, not play in it and then be ready for the Adelaide Test which would be a dream come to true to play in a day-night Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.”

When de Villiers was initially sidelined on September 27, South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said he would require eight to ten weeks of recovery, which would make him available between November 22 and December 6. As a result, Moosajee said, de Villiers would target the home series against Sri Lanka, that begins with a Boxing Day Test, to make a comeback. De Villiers had surgery on his elbow on October 3. The Adelaide Test starts on November 24, which would put de Villiers’ recovery time at just over seven weeks.

The injury, which causes pain to de Villiers when he plays certain shots, was sustained earlier this year and was being treated conservatively with …

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