This may be India’s best chance in our backyard: Fanie de Villiers | Cricket News – Times of India

Now 57, de Villiers spoke to TOI in an exclusive interview.
Excerpts…
SA Test captain Dean Elgar feels there is threat of rain in Centurion. Is bad weather a threat to the first Test?
I live right next to the Centurion cricket field. We’ve had rain or thunderstorms here every single day. It rains even in the evenings, which makes it very, very wet. We’ve had one of our wettest summers. I hope rain is not going to influence the Test.
Gloom surrounds South African cricket these days, with Covid-19 having scuttled the T20 Mzansi Super League for the second year running. Allegations of racism also abound. How important is the India series for the Proteas?
Cricket is an individual game within a team sport. Outside gossip and even controversial management of cricket at the top don’t really get to the players in the dressing room.
It is mostly an individual fight on the field when you are out there. The series against India won’t be more important because of issues outside the game.

DEADLY COMBO: Fanie de Villiers (right) and Allan Donald of South Africa celebrate victory after the first Test against England at Lord’s in July, 1994. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)
Fast bowler Andrich Nortje has been ruled out of the series…
Nortje is a big loss but Duanne Olivier is a similar kind of bowler. Nortje has never really swung the ball. He’s a fast bowler. That’s why I feel that Duanne is a similar type of a bowler who runs in and bowls quick. I think that if Nortje was an away swing bowler like Dale Steyn, or an inswing bowler like Allan Donald, he would have been missed much more. Needless to say, Nortje is a fantastic cricketer. He would have been my first choice between the two fast bowlers.

Could this then be India’s best chance to clinch their maiden Test series win in SA?
We are trying to find our feet in both bowling and batting. This might be your best chance in our backyard.
How much will India miss Rohit Sharma?
Rohit has been an absolutely wonderful cricket player and a big help in Indian cricket. I’m sure that he was involved in a lot of evolving that took place in the team. As outsiders, we’ve seen so many spectacular (Indian) batsmen coming forward that it blows your mind. It’s the reason why I feel that there are so many batsmen who can take his place and probably do well. So basically, there are enough players to replace him, though India will miss his seniority.
How highly do you rate India’s fast bowling attack?
More pace gives you better bowlers and success on our pitches. That is the area where your cricket has improved the most.
How tough is it on today’s cricketers to stay in strict bio-bubbles during a series?
I can only imagine how difficult a tour can be with limited access and no freedom to roam around. It must be highly frustrating.