|| CF Correspondent ||

Cricket South Africa's selection panel convenor, Linda Zondi clears the air on Thursday after it was speculated that AB de Villiers wanted to return but was denied team management, citing it as a matter of principle more than anything else.

The statement was issued hour after it was reported AB de Villiers wanted to come out of his retirement to play the World Cup but was rejected by the management.

"I pleaded with AB de Villiers not to retire in 2018. Although there was a perception that he was picking and choosing when to play [for South Africa] - which was not true - I did give him the option to plan and monitor his season to get him to the World Cup fresh and in a good space. We made it clear that he would have to play during the home tours against Sri Lanka and Pakistan to be considered for selection, instead he signed to play in the Pakistan and Bangladesh Premier Leagues respectively. He turned down the offer and said he was at peace with his decision to retire,’’ Zondi was quoted in the official statement published by the board.

"For Faf du Plessis and Ottis Gibson to share AB's desire to be included in the squad on the day we announced our World Cup squad on April 18th was a shock to all of us. AB left a big vacuum when he retired, we had a year to find players at franchise level to fill the gap. We had players who put in the hard work, who put up their hands and deserved to be given the opportunity to go to the World Cup. The decision was based on principle; we had to be fair to the team, the selection panel, our franchise system and players,’’ it

"At no point in the year that he had retired did he make himself available for selection. It was no option when I received the news on the day of the squad announcement, our squad was finalised and confirmed. AB is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world but above all else, we have to stay true to our morals and principles; there is no regret in the decision,’’ the CSA statement concluded.

Earlier it was reported that AB de Villiers dumped by South African management after deciding to come out of retirement for World Cup.

De Villiers approached South African captain and his long-time friend Faf du Plessis, head coach Ottis Gibson and convenor of selectors Linda Zondi.