Faf du Plessis urges South Africa to emulate India

Twenty20 skipper Faf du Plessis today backed the longer format of the game and said South Africa should emulate India, who will be playing as many as 13 Tests this season at home.

World No. 6 in ICC rankings, South Africa will be playing 11 Tests this season, but du Plessis wants the officials to try and get as much Test cricket as possible at home.

“We don’t play a lot of Tests at home. If you look at India, this season they have got 15 Tests coming up in their country you want to try and make use of your own conditions and play as many Tests as possible,” du Plessis was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.

“We play a little bit and then there’s a big break. With space the team is in now, we would like to play as much Test cricket as possible and try and build something. We have a mission as a team and we are trying to get there.”

A regular in T20 leagues across the world, du Plessis however, said Test cricket remains his top priority.

“Test cricket is the best thing to play. That is the challenge you want. You want to sit after a day’s play as a bowler ... your toenails are bleeding and you are extremely tired and you want to, for the guys that drink beer, have a sip at the end and say we gave it everything.

“You can’t copy the feeling of winning a Test match in any other format, especially in T20s,” he said.