Jacques Rudolph backs AB de Villiers to rise as South Africa Test captain

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  • Pic by Chris Whiteoak/whiteoakpictures CRICKET: Team launch of the Gemini Arabians of the Masters Cricket league. Skydive Dubai, Dubai Marina, Dubai. Jacques Rudolph

    Jacques Rudolph is confident of a South African fightback in the Test series against England and he has backed AB de Villiers to lead the Proteas from the front as captain.

    South Africa’s star batsman took over the captaincy mantle for the rest of the series from Hashim Amla at the end of the drawn Cape Town Test following the 32-year-old’s decision to step down from the role.

    De Villiers is now tasked with the challenge of turning around the series which England currently lead 1-0 with two Test lefts to play.

    And few men know the world’s number three-ranked Test batsman better than Rudolph, given the fact both players graduated from the famous Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool public high school for boys in Pretoria and then played international cricket together.

    “I grew up with AB so I know him quite well. He’s the type of guy who will rally the guys together. AB is definitely the right guy for the job to lead the team forward,” Rudolph told Sport360 on Saturday.

    “Hashim is more of an introverted, background kind of guy. I think it gives Hashim another opportunity to focus on his batting and not worrying about the politics and all the other stuff in the background. That will help South Africa.”

    Rudolph, 34, who has been a top performer on the English county circuit for Glamorgan, Surrey and Yorkshire in recent years, played the last of his 48 Tests for South Africa back in 2012 – but is keeping a close eye on his country’s fortunes as they tussle with England on home soil.

    “I thought England played really well in Durban and deserved to win the Test, and then they dominated the first two days in Cape Town.

    “But I thought the way the Proteas fought back was amazing and after their declaration on day four they put all the pressure back onto
    England. That put out a strong message to the England dressing room that South Africa are still in the series and I think our guys would have taken a lot of our heart.

    “Even though we didn’t win it, it would have been massive for the team. It will give South Africa a massive boost for Johannesburg,”
    he added.

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