AB's future status is beyond a 'choking' matter

Should we be forced to swallow the 'difficult to explain' line or 'I really don't know what happened' offering by the ODI skipper at the post-match press conference following a comprehensive eight wicket hiding by India in the ICC Champions Trophy?

 "I wouldn't like to blame guys, it's just one of those things," added the veteran skipper.

 Yes, AB, it certainly is one of those things.

Then came the cricket-related explanation: "We are very, very sad. We were hoping to play a better brand of cricket today. We just came unstuck against a better team. We were outplayed."

 "The way we lost our way was disappointing. We were really in a good position with bat in hand early on, but with soft dismissals we lost our way. That hurt the most."

 Former Proteas captain Kepler Wessels, in his capacity as a television analyst on SuperSport, said it was not ideal for De Villiers to only be playing select matches and opting not to play in others.

 "The fact of the matter is it's not working,” Wessels said in the wake of Sunday's defeat at the Oval.

 Wessels also came down hard on some of De Villiers' tactics during the tournament.

 But it was a tweet on his own timeline by former Proteas batsman Ashwell Prince that probably best summed up the situation.

 "@OfficialCSA (Cricket South Africa) dictates to players when they may have the honour of representing this country instead of other way round," he tweeted.

As an elite contracted player, De Villiers can no longer be allowed to determine his own future international career path and when and where he would like to play.

Cricket fans have generally been sympathetic towards the Proteas icon based on his impeccable reputation and international pedigree, but it's now time for him to start showing unquestionable commitment to the badge in all formats and underline his iconic status, or, dare we suggest it, step aside.

A catastrophic run-out against India aside, it couldn't be said either that De Villiers was in sublime form during the Champions Trophy - just 20 runs came from his bat - and there were also some fitness issues.

The Proteas may have come up short yet again and the explanations remain pretty flimsy, but De Villiers has no doubt in his own mind he is still the man to take the national side forward to the 2019 World Cup.

"It may not be what people believe, but I believe in my heart it's not far away. We have more than enough talent to get it right when it matters most."

As for his future and the possibility of a radical shake-up, De Villiers says it's out of his hands.

"That question can only be answered by those charged with radical decisions," he adds.

"I don't think we are a bad cricket team or that we lack mental strength - we just didn't play well."

On the upside though – at least I hit two legs of the Trifecta this week - well done to Bafana Bafana and the Springboks.

Follow Trevor Cramer on twitter @CramerTF