'Glad to Get it Over With, Wasn't Expecting a Positive Response' - AB de Villiers on his Retirement
Published - 24 May 2018, 10:14 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:51 PM
South Africa’s ace batsman, AB de Villiers, shocked the cricketing after making an abrupt announcement of international retirement on Wednesday
On the basis of his performance in the last few months, many assumed ABD had a substantial amount of cricket left in him.
However, after coming back home from his successful stint in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB de Villiers decided to call it a day.
Talking to Radio Channel 5FM, AB revealed he was glad to get it over with and wasn’t expecting a positive response from his massive army of fans.
“It was quite a tough day yesterday, and I’m just glad that I could get through it. But yea, what can I say… I will forever be grateful to the people of South Africa for their incredible support,” commented AB de Villiers according to IOL.
During his emotional announcement in a video released on Twitter, AB mentioned about being tired and having served his country enough.
Also Read: AB de Villiers Reveals the Name of his Favourite Indian Cricketer
I’m not completely retired out of all cricket: AB
“I wasn’t expecting a positive response, to be honest. It was a really tough decision – I’ve been struggling with it for a while, and I’m just glad we got through it,” continued Mr. 360.
On his future plans, ABD expects to spend some quality time with family henceforth. Also, De Villiers plans to take part in domestic competitions representing the Titans.
“Now it’s a bit of family time, and a bit of time at home – I can’t wait, hey,” added the Protean legend.
While participating in the recent Ram-Slam T20 challenge, AB jotted down an interesting observation.
“I really enjoyed seeing some of the youngsters playing some great cricket – Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Junior Dala,”
“Looking at them, I thought,’This is incredible. I’m 34 years old now, and I’ve got this incredible privilege to see some of these youngsters come through, and to actually have an opportunity to have an impact on their careers’,” the RCB star advocated his recent decision.
For the heartbroken AB fans, his next statement came as music to the ears. AB has not retired from playing cricket in entirety.
“I’ve dealt with a good amount of pressure over the years! So for the next few months, I just want to chill. I’m pretty sure something will come up. Look, I’m not completely retired out of all cricket. Like I said, I’m still going to play for the Titans,” concluded AB de Villiers.
