Ab de Villiers to decide future in August

As well as de Villiers, South Africa could be without another senior batsman in Faf du Plesiss for the first Test at Lord's, which starts on July 6.

One of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, the 33 -year-old headed home after captaining the Proteas in a 19-run defeat by England in Cardiff on Sunday that saw them beaten 2 -1 in a three-match Twenty20 series.

South Africa previously lost a one-day international series to England by the same score line and then suffered a hugely disappointing first-round exit at the Champions Trophy.

But a Test series against England is the centrepiece of a four-month tour.

Bangladesh are due to tour South Africa in September and de Villiers said he expected to know by then what his international workload would entail.

AB has represented South Africa in 106 Test matches.

However, it has long been planned that de Villiers would miss the four-Test campaign to take a break from the strain of being one of the world's leading players in all three international formats, as well as a man in demand at lucrative Twenty20 franchise events around the world.

AB de Villiers left South Africa's tour of England saying he would decide his cricket future in August. (Photo: AP)