AB de Villiers believes the international schedule means teams simply have to adapt quickly to foreign conditions and that there are no luxuries. (Photo by Johan Rynners/Gallo Images)
AB de Villiers has sympathy for his big competitor Virat Kohli wanting India to prepare properly for South African conditions but concedes that lengthy training camps are no longer possible.
Kohli, currently the top-ranked batsman in ODIs, reacted rather angrily last week after he was asked whether the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had allowed enough time for the team to prepare for the tour.
India only finish their current series against Sri Lanka on December 24 and play the first Test against the Proteas at Newlands on January 5 already.
“Had we got a month off ideally, we would have done a proper preparation in a camp sort of scenario. But we have to sort of make do with what we have,” Kohli said at the time.
“As usual cramped for time, which I think we needed to assess in future as well because we very easily assess the team when go abroad but we don’t look at how many days we have got to prepare before we go to a particular place to play.”
India have generally struggled with South African conditions in the past.
The reality for them, according to De Villiers, is that they’ll have to simply adapt as quickly as possible.
“Being in a country for a month before playing a series is ideal but it’s unrealistic, especially with our current schedules,” the Proteas star said on Monday.
“If you’re prepared to do that (come earlier), you won’t be at home for many days of the year. Virat is a disciplined and adaptable guy. If he believes that’s the best way for India to prepare for tours, they must investigate the possibility.
“I personally don’t believe in a full month of prep. Because you’re playing all of the time, I can’t even see the Indians having a month’s time to prepare for a tour. We don’t even have that amount of time.”
Instead, India have tried to compensate for a lack of time by preparing seamer-friendly pitches at home against Sri Lanka.
But De Villiers warns it’s not a foolproof way of steeling themselves for the Proteas bowling attack.
“It might help them but India have got to remember that they won’t face the same bowlers. They’ll face guys that come from here and know in which areas to bowl. It’s easy to overthink these situations. In the end, it’s just about getting onto the field and achieving results.”
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