De Villiers hopes Bangladesh will be competitive in South Africa

Former South African star AB de Villiers believes Bangladesh can put up a strong fight during their upcoming Test tour of South Africa despite the challenging conditions awaiting them.

Bangladesh have made notable progress in Test cricket, including a historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin earlier this year. Although Australia bounced back to win the second Test in Mackay by an innings and 51 runs, Bangladesh’s overall performance in the series boosted their confidence ahead of the South Africa tour.

De Villiers expects Bangladesh to remain competitive in South African conditions, particularly in the Test series.

“I think Bangladesh will put up a good fight in South Africa. It is one of the toughest places in the world to tour, especially for batters. The ball not only swings after pitching but also moves off the seam. Not many players are accustomed to these conditions, so handling them is really difficult,” De Villiers said.

The former batter also stressed the need for batters to remain proactive against South Africa’s pace and seam movement.

“Speaking from my own experience, I had a few strategies to deal with it. Sometimes I would come down the crease, sometimes I would cover my stumps completely, and at other times I would leave them exposed, depending on how I read the situation,” he said.

“In these kinds of seaming conditions, that is what you have to do. You cannot simply cover your stumps and try to survive all day. You have to be proactive,” he added.

Bangladesh will tour South Africa from November 15 to December 13, playing two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. The first Test will be held in Johannesburg from November 15-19, followed by the second in Centurion from November 23-27.

SKS