‘I hope that the coaches stop fooling him around’ – AB de Villiers’ massive take on Dewald Brevis

AB de Villiers has expressed concern about the way South African team management has handled Dewald Brevis‘ development, particularly regarding his constantly changing batting position across formats. The 22-year-old Brevis, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, has been moved between different slots in the batting order, a situation that de Villiers believes is hindering the young player’s progress.

The South African batting legend, who has personally worked with Brevis in his off time, offered detailed advice on how the player should be positioned in international cricket. De Villiers believes that Brevis requires stability and consistency in his role to flourish as a batter.

“I work a little bit with him (Dewald Brevis) in my off time. He’s still young, guys. I think a lot of people look at him like he’s almost past his best. He’s still early 20s. There’s a lot of cricket left for that young man,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers’ concern over Brevis’ changing batting position

De Villiers’ primary concern centres on the frequent changes to Brevis’ batting position across international cricket. The South African legend has observed how Brevis has been shuffled between opening, middle order and lower order slots, which de Villiers argues disrupts the young batter’s rhythm and confidence. The former South Africa captain has a clear vision for where Brevis should bat in each format based on his assessment of the player’s strengths.

“I hope that the coaches stop fooling him around. Bat him in the top order, stop putting him at five, and then he opens, then he bats at six, then he opens again, then he bats at three. In my opinion, he needs to bat No,” de Villiers said.

“3 in T20s, three in ODIs, and four in Test match cricket. Pick him, put him there, keep him there. He’s going to win you a lot of cricket games,” he added.

Why de Villiers believes Brevis needs more time to develop

De Villiers drew on his own experience as one of cricket’s greatest batters to explain why Brevis needs more time to develop. The South African legend pointed out that he did not reach his peak until his late twenties and early thirties, suggesting that Brevis is still in the early stages of his career despite the criticism he has faced.

Also Read: ‘A privilege to watch’ – Subrayen on Brevis after South Africa beat Zimbabwe in tri-series

“I told him, imagine you’re 30 years old, between 28 and 32, that’s when I peaked. He’s still a long way off that. You just become more experienced, you start understanding your game better, and he’s nowhere near that yet, and people are already sort of going, ‘We’re getting a little bit tired of him,” de Villiers said.

“He’s inconsistent.’ I was incredibly inconsistent when I was younger. So, I always say Dewald Brevis because I’m waiting for that. I know what’s coming,” he added.