Former Proteas fast bowler Fanie de Villiers believes that animosity in the Proteas camp could have led to AB de Villiers stepping down as captain.

While public and pundits alike have generally sided with De Villiers’ decision to step down as captain, his namesake believes there’s more that meets the eye behind CSA’s decision to appoint Faf du Plessis as the skipper full-time.

Du Plessis’ record as Test and ODI skipper in De Villiers’ absence has been admirable and has undoubedtly played its part in his appointment, but De Villiers argues against continuity being the main reason, stating that ‘something is cooking that we don’t know about yet’.

‘I don’t think you need to have continuity. You need to have a better captain and a better player in the system, which I think AB is with all of his experience,’ De Villiers told Jacaranda Sport.

‘I don’t think the decision was based on continuity at all. I find it very strange that AB has stepped down. When that happens it’s either the team that wants a new captain or there’s animosity inside the system between the player and the captain, or there’s a selection issue.

‘I find it very strange that he’s not the captain anymore and that he’s not part of the tour. It’s very strange and something’s cooking that we don’t know about yet.’

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