The handsome batsman from South Africa AB deVilliers opened up about his early retirement from international cricket in 2018 and said he lost quite a few friends like Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith, and Jacques Kallis when players withdrew from the game.
AB de Villiers was a key member of the Proteas side and his wide shooting range was a joy to watch. AB de Villiers was part of the leadership group for the South African side and used to assist skipper Faf du Plessis.
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AB de Villiers’ sudden retirement came as a shock in 2018 when WC 2019 was just around the corner. AB de Villiers amassed 19,864 runs in 415 matches and finished as South Africa’s second leading run scorer behind Jacques Kallis.
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The atmosphere in the South African team was a problem for me at the time- AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers was having an interaction at Jio Cinema and said he didn’t have the established team he wanted to be a part of. De Villiers pointed out that a player needs a group of 4-5 people who are very close and understand the same things as the players.
“The atmosphere in the South African team was a problem for me at the time. I didn’t have the team created that I wanted to be a part of. That changed me during the end of my career. I lost a lot of friends in Boucher, Smith and Kallis after they retired. Suddenly, looking around, none of them were there.” said AB de Villiers.
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“Some of the other guys were younger than me and played fewer games. Suddenly it was me driving things, which I really enjoyed, but you need a group like 4-5 people who are very compact. They understand the same things as you.” added.
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De Villiers said he always hated statistics. AB de Villiers noted that he wanted to play and end up in RCB and enjoy his cricket and said that he has always tried to enjoy himself.
“I have always hated statistics. So, I looked at the 10,000 run mark and I thought I told myself to say that 10,000 is a number. And anyway, yes, I’ll decide for myself when I’ve had enough. said AB de Villiers.
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“And I felt at the time, because of a lot of reasons, I think there are about 20 good reasons, some of them very personal, some of them not so much. I felt, you know what? It’s time for me,” he claimed.
“What do I want to achieve in the last four years of my career? I wanted to play and end up at RCB and enjoy my cricket. It’s always been about enjoying.” added.
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