‘The choice is quite obvious’: Ab de Villiers fears Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may opt for ‘easier’ T20 format than Test cricket

Ab de Villiers, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batsman AB de Villiers believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could become one of the first players of his generation to choose T20 cricket over Test cricket.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his India debut last week in the second T20I of the ongoing series against England. In an interview on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said that the growing appeal of T20 cricket could influence young players like Sooryavanshi when deciding on the direction of their careers.“He (Sooryavanshi) could become one of the first youngsters to simply say, ‘Sorry, I’m not interested in Test cricket. I’m perfectly happy playing T20 cricket.'”READ ALSO: AB de Villiers reveals that Virat Kohli wanted him to delay his RCB exitDe Villiers said T20 cricket can be a more comfortable format for batsmen because of the playing conditions.“In terms of comfort, it (T20) is much easier. You face short spells, there are only two fielders outside the circle during the power-over, the wickets are flatter – it can be a much easier life for a cricketer. We’ll see what he decides. But whatever he (Sooryavanshi) chooses, there will definitely be challenges and pitfalls along the way.”The former South Africa captain added that if Sooryavanshi ultimately decides not to play Test cricket, the onus should not rest on the player.“You can’t blame him. These decisions are made at the top. It’s up to the administrators to find the right balance and make these decisions a little more difficult than they are at the moment. Right now the choice is quite obvious (between Test and T20),” de Villiers told TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.At the same time, De Villiers said that Sooryavanshi’s journey will not be easy.“He will go through tough patches. His character will be tested. Then it will be up to him to show if he has the character and mental strength to get through those stages. There are a lot of alarm bells and pitfalls that could befall him,” he said.He also said that Sooryavanshi will need proper guidance in its development.“At 15 you should still be relatively immature – and he probably is. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I hope he has good leadership, guidance and mentorship around him. I also hope he’s open to accepting help along the way because it’s going to be a rocky road. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. Especially if he decides to play Test cricket – which he may not.”