Uncertain ODI future does not faze Van der Dussen as he admits he cannot be around forever, hinting at retirement.
Uncertain ODI future means that Rassie Van der Dussen is at peace with whatever is thrown at him.
Rassie van der Dussen is considering the possibility that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be his final multi-team competition, even though the majority of South African white-ball cricket players view the following two years as paving the way for the 2027 home ODI World Cup.
Despite having caps in all three formats, Van der Dussen, who turned 36 earlier this month, only plays one for South Africa at the moment. He has come to terms with the possibility that his time with the squad may be drawing to an end as he ages and a new generation of hitters emerges.
“It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.
“It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back, Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan’s [Rickelton] only starting out now actually so there’s so many good players.
“I’m not blind to the possibility that if I don’t perform that someone won’t be there to take my place. I certainly don’t expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better.”
Along with him, three of the players van der Dussen mentioned—Stubbs, de Zorzi, and Rickelton—are vying for no more than two positions in the starting lineup in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad. One of those roles is to bat at No. 3 and the other is to open alongside captain Temba Bavuma, which has alternated between de Zorzi and Rickelton.
Van der Dussen has been South Africa’s most consistent No. 3 since 2019, and for good reason—he has established a reputation for dependability and has their third-highest batting average in ODIs. However, that has begun to decline in the past year.
“I’ll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I’m playing well. Physically, I’m putting a lot of time into my body. If I’m still good enough in two years, I’d like to think that I’m in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can’t keep up with the youngsters, then that’s also fine.”