AB de Villiers admits thoughts of retirement

AB de Villiers hits a boundary during the Cricket World Cup semifinal against the Black Caps. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Brendon McCullum is about to depart international cricket, and his fellow master blaster AB de Villiers could follow suit.

The new South African captain has confirmed a report suggesting he was contemplating retirement was on the mark.

De Villiers said: "For two or three years I've been searching for the right answers to play a little less cricket in one way or another, to keep myself fresh and enjoying the game.

"Every now and then I find I am not enjoying myself as much as I should be. I've been talking to a few people and obviously that's leaked."

De Villiers has taken over the South African captaincy in the middle of the series against England, after Hashim Amla stepped down. England lead the four test series 1-0.

The 31-year-old de Villiers said cricket was still trying to find a balance between the riches of T20 and the status of the test game.

"I think it's a going concern for the ICC (International Cricket Council) to find the right sort of structure to keep all the guys fresh. International cricket is the main cricket you want to play, especially test cricket," he said.

"There are big tournaments going on around the world and some of them you can't ignore because financially they make a huge difference in our lives.

"But international cricket comes first and one or two things will have to happen in the future in order for that to happen."

McCullum will quit international cricket after the two test series against Australia in February, but continue to play T20 for Brisbane in the Big Bash.