Faf du Plessis says he is still “extremely hungry” to play the game.

The former Proteas captain will once again lead the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, and continues to play in lucrative T20 leagues around the world including the IPL.

“For me, at my age, I still feel exactly the same. How long I can go for? I can’t give you the answer. I thought I’d be done by now,” Du Plessis said at the SA20 captain’s press conference on Wednesday.

“For me, it’s just a case of being true to myself and where I am in my career. How hungry am I still to play the game? Right now, I’m still extremely hungry to do what I’ve been doing for the last few years.

“Body is still feeling really good and my mind is fresh. Imran Tahir is setting a standard there for the Gandalf of the tournament. With this format now, you can push yourself certainly a lot more.

“Sport has changed for the better, we see sportsmen all around the world doing this for longer than they’ve ever been doing it. Bryan (Habana, Laureus Sport for Good SA ambassador) could even make a return now if he wanted to. But we still enjoy it, and this is a great competition, so I would like to play this for as long as possible.”

Du Plessis said T20 franchises valued experience, although that wasn’t always the case.

“Old is gold. If you look at the IPLs and T20 comps around the world, I found there was a phase initially when people went to the young guys, but then there was almost a switch back to the experience.

“You see a lot of experience being recruited, but with that it’s important to have that youth and why we have a rookie in every squad and for any young player stepping out of school.

ALSO: SA20 rising stars primed for 2025 season

“We have a guy, JP King, in our squad and when I first met him, he said, ‘Hello, Oom Faf’. That’s not that great …

“But it’s great, you’re mixing young guys coming straight out of school, double their age, but they get to rub shoulders with guys who play a lot of cricket around the world. I think that’s something that you cannot buy in a supermarket. That’s such great learning for them.”

Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics