South Africa have good players but cannot win T20 World Cup without de Villiers: Chopra

With AB de Villiers deciding not to come out of retirement ahead of the T20 World Cup, former India batsman Aakash Chopra reckons South Africa cannot win the mega event without the swashbuckling batsman. De Villiers announced his international retirement in 2018 and was expected to come back into the fold after talks with the current head coach Mark Boucher.

But as things stand, de Villiers will not return to the international fold but will continue entertaining the fans in the T20 leagues.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "The chances of their progress would have been better if AB de Villiers was there but if he is not there, it is impossible to get a player of his quality. The team still has good players but is it a team that can win the World Cup, I personally don't think so."

"This team can do well, trouble a few people and spoil other teams' parties but they might not be able to win the World Cup because wherever it happens, whether in India or the UAE, I have my reservations with regards to their chances to win the tournament in these conditions," the former India batsman added.

South Africa travel to West Indies for a couple of Tests and five T20Is, starting June 10. Other than de Villiers, senior players like Chris Morris and Faf du Plessis too have not been picked for the tour.