We really have a difficult time in this country to let go of the legends on our sports fields.
It’s almost like once you reach legendary status you get to choose when you can exit the national team’s setup.
Now we were all a bit gobsmacked when AB de Villiers decided to hang up his cricket bat for the Proteas in all formats.
We all believed that he still had the ability to perform at next year's World Cup, despite being 34 already. De Villiers, I believe, announced his retirement at exactly the right time.
His career had become a job and he perhaps no longer had the same passion to do the job that was required at this level.
LEGENDARY STATUS: De Villiers
What he also did was retire a legend - he left fans wanting more. And that’s simply because he was still at the top of his game.
That’s ultimately what you want fans to remember you for; being at your best.
Post-retirement he has proven that he can still klap the best in the world in domestic T20 tournaments around the globe.
But the same can’t be said for some of his former SA teammates who are even older than Abbas.
Let’s start at the top of the batting order and work our way through.
AGEING BADLY: Faf du Plessis
For years now, 35-year-old Hashim Amla has been one of the stalwarts in the national team. But in recent times, he has struggled.
Yes, he scored an unbeaten 63 runs to guide South Africa home in the first Test against Pakistan on the weekend to add to the eight runs he scored in the first innings.
Amla needed that innings and confidence boost.
However, is that enough to keep blocking young talent from coming through system?
That 63 not out boosted Amla’s average for the year of 2018.
In the 10 matches he played, the Bearded Wonder scored a total of 510 runs at an average of just 26.84.
Furthermore, Amla couldn’t register a single century this year, getting to the half-way mark a total of five times.
If there was a year-end review process for each player, these numbers wouldn’t have gone down well for Amla.
INNINGS BECOMING SHORT: Hashim Amla
And with Cape Town youngster Zubayr Hamza waiting in the wings, I say let’s look to the future.
Then there is captain Faf du Plessis, 34.
The skipper couldn’t get off the mark at all in Tshwane.
And his 2018 record looks even worse than that of Amla, having scored a total of 463 runs at an average of 24.37.
Those stats aren’t those of a leader and with another Capetonian in Janneman Malan impressing on the domestic team, I reckon it’s time to let Faf go.
Aiden Markram has not been at his best either, but maybe giving him the captain’s armband with the future in mind would not be such a bad idea.
With Malan then coming in, he can open the batting with Dean Elgar, with Markram dropping down the order for Faf.
Onto the bowling department.
With Vernon Philander fit and ready to go for the Newlands Test, I can’t believe that the selectors are still entertaining the idea of maybe dropping first-Test hero Duanne Olivier. In my books, Steyn is the one that should go.
In 2018, he has only played four Test matches because of injury.
At 35, I am convinced that the Phalaborwa Express is past his prime.
The stats indicate that too.
In the four Test matches he’s played this year, Steyn could only claim seven wickets at an average of 47.14.
Compared to his overall Test average of 22.71, it’s clear that he is not the same bowler he used to be.
Having played only three Tests in 2017 as well, it’s clear that his body is telling Steyn that it’s time to maybe hang up his boots in the longer form of the game.
We all know Cricket South Africa won’t make that call for him.
And that’s why I tip my hat to De Villiers. He knew when to quit.
Others don’t.
So maybe it’s time for the selectors to hint at these players that they are blocking the path of the next generation.
Having said this, Amla and Steyn will go down as two of the best players to ever play for SA. In my books, Du Plessis was decent.