"I Didn't Communicate Well Enough About How I Was Feeling" - AB de Villiers Reveals Why He Retired Early

AB de Villiers expressed his delight that South Africa’s white-ball coach, Rob Walter, encouraged Quinton de Kock not to retire from international cricket completely. De Villiers said that he struggled due to insufficient communication after the 2015 ODI World Cup loss.

AB de Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018. The legendary batter amassed 8,765 runs in 114 Tests at an average of 50.66. In ODIs, he scored 9,577 runs at an average of 53.50, while in T20Is, he notched 1,672 runs at a strike rate of 135.16.

I Did Struggle With It During The Later Stages Of Career – AB de Villiers

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers revealed his struggles with communication after the 2015 World Cup, which affected the later stages of his career. He also acknowledged the difficulties of making a comeback for the 2019 World Cup.

“I did struggle with it during the later stage of my career where I felt I didn’t communicate well enough about how I was feeling. Especially after the 2015 World Cup, not winning it and just feeling flat, I wanted to get away. I feel the communication wasn’t good enough there, shortening my international career at least by few years,” Villiers said.

“It’s a very difficult thing to manage with other players representing South Africa in the series against India. They will feel they have worked so hard and now someone from the outside comes and says ‘Hold on, I am ready again.’ That happened to me as well. I put up my hand for the 2019 World Cup feeling like I was in the form of my life.”

“I spoke to Faf on the cricket field and I said that I know it’s completely selfish, I am sorry, but if you feel there’s anyone who is out of form and a spot opens up, I will put my hand up. It completely backfired. I was called out all sort of names.”

Temba Has Been One Of Our Best ODI Batters – AB de Villiers

De Villiers emphasized the importance of giving players breaks to prepare for an intense Test series, highlighting Temba Bavuma’s absence from white-ball games. He suggested the break would help him recharge, especially after the 2023 World Cup pressure.

“Temba has been one of our best ODI batters. He is just getting rested to get ready for the Test series. It is always great to give players breaks between series to prepare for what could be a more intense series. He was also the captain of the South African team that got knocked out of the semifinal of the 2023 World Cup. So maybe just feeling the pressure and it’s good to give him a week off and go get ready for the Test matches and come back firing.”

Also read: AB de Villiers Weighs In On The David Warner-Mitchell Johnson Controversy!! Delivers Striking Verdict On Warner’s Dressing Room Behaviour