It is easy to imagine how AB de Villiers must have felt the morning after his cryptic announcement that he’s through with his international cricket. His reasoning for quitting was as simple as his strokeplay: “I am tired.”
He must have slept a couple of hours more and got up not worrying about nets or thinking about a game he has to play. He chose his time to make the announcement. He could have done it after the successful Test series against India and Australia earlier in the year, like teammate Morne Morkel. He could have done it even after the IPL season, which was like all his years, good for him and not his team Royal Challengers Bangalore. He did not.
De Villiers quit when people were looking forward to a couple more years of super entertainment from him. He had everything going for him. Maybe he could have waited a year to see if his dream of winning the World Cup could be fulfilled. But he said winning it would not define his career and he did not want to wait that long. Not all can be lucky like Sachin Tendulkar to bow out as the World Cup winner.
Four days after RCB went out of the IPL, he returned home and posted a quiet video from the stadium in Pretoria where he played most of his cricket as youngster and made his debut 14 years ago. The reason for his tiredness is his record of playing 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals, not counting the T20 leagues. It was a tough decision, not many are able to call it a day when at the top of entertainment charts. He thought long and hard and he did not waver, even while thinking of his teammates or coaches. He said that’s it.
Yes, the decision was not sudden or abrupt, say like quitting in the middle of a tour or after winning or losing a series. At 34 these days players are still good enough to roam around T20 tournaments like gypsies. Kumar Sangakkara and Shane Watson are the shining examples of having played in all formats for their countries and still carrying on. AB said he had no plans to play overseas, but hoped to be available for Titans in domestic cricket. Not many are willing to wager on his not playing in the IPL. He would make a concession at least for the sake of his pal Virat Kohli and turn up next season for RCB.
He dropped a hint of quitting exactly a year ago in England when he pulled out of the Test series and returned home to spend time with his family after South Africa lost the ODI and T20I. He said he would make up his mind about the workload he could take. He carried on and was fit for the key series against India and Australia, both of which South Africa won.
As for his greatness, record books are full of it. He is next only to that great South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis in terms of runs. He may not have touched the 10,000-mark in Tests, but the figures hardly matter when one talks of De Villiers. Or for that matter not many will devalue his fastest 50, 100 and 150 just because they came against the fast deteriorating West Indies sides. It is just the class of his hitting and the range of his strokes.
Look at some of the most daring young cubs in the IPL, all say they are trying to be like De Villiers, but they can’t come anywhere near. What all he did is difficult to emulate. He carried the team as a premier batsman, kept wickets in Tests and was a superb fielder anywhere on the park like he showed the other night with a one-handed catch like a superman.
You can’t get a better superstar than De Villiers to be the ambassador for world cricket.
(The writer is a veteran commentator & views expressed are personal. He can be reached at sveturi@gmail.com)