Super-analytical? No, AB’s style is to trust his gut-feel
HASHIM AMLA and AB de Villiers have both had to field the question more times than they can remember. The wording differs, but the essence is the same: How do you compare to Graeme Smith as a captain?
Smith captained for 10 years and was such an imposing figure it’s no wonder the rest of the cricket world remains somewhat obsessed with him. Big in stature, and big in personality, he shaped and changed the look of the South African side.
It took Smith a while to stamp his authority on the team – four years in fact. That is a period that neither De Villiers nor Amla, the Test captain has had yet.
In fact the circumstances are so different for the pair compared to when Smith was given the job out of the blue back in 2003.
Smith was young, still trying to make an impression as a batsman, but did not shy away when the offer to lead the side was granted to him. Also he led right across the board – T20s, ODIs and Test matches – whereas Amla and De Villiers lead in one format, with Faf du Plessis in the role for the T20s.
Smith oversaw the creation and embedding of a team culture, with a very specific identity. He got buy-in from the players for that new culture, something that Amla and De Villiers are benefiting from now.
To be fair to both of them, they have sincerely acknowledged Smith’s role in the way the Proteas are seen these days and the success they had under Smith – particularly in the last five years of his reign – has been crucial to the confidence with which the side plays nowadays.
“It is difficult to compare myself to Graeme,” De Villiers remarked yesterday ahead of South Africa’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Eden Park.
“He was a great leader and did a lot of great things for South African cricket. I’m not sure where I’m at as a captain, even though I’ve captained for a few years now.”
In terms of numbers he’s led the team to 39 wins in 67 matches as ODI captain. He averages 90 with the bat when South Africa wins. However captaincy is more than just winning, and batting averages. It requires getting to know the individuals you’re captaining, what makes them tick, judging their emotions and energy before a match, applying tactics and knowing who is best to apply those tactics.
It was prior to the Pakistan match at this World Cup – in the warm-up in fact – that De Villiers felt the team just wasn’t right. He termed it a lack of energy. “I know what makes them tick, what irritates them, sometimes it’s important to irritate them, to get the best out of them,” he said yesterday.
De Villiers talks a lot about trusting his gut feel, which points to the fact that perhaps he’s not the most analytical of leaders. In that respect he and Brendon McCullum are the same. They’re both attacking players, aggressive captains and go with their instinct – a lot.
It’s perhaps why De Villiers said the following about his leadership: “I can’t judge myself as a captain, that’s up to others to do. Apparently I had a great game as captain in the last game.”
Against Sri Lanka he certainly led well. “I just backed my bowlers and trusted my gut. To me it was just a normal cricket game in which we played really well. That’s how I take every game we play; we have some good ones, and I’m very happy, we have some bad ones where I feel gutted and it’s just normal to sulk a little bit after a loss. You then want to move on, look for areas where you can get better as a cricket team and as a captain.”
In his position, and given the team’s history in World Cups, he’s battled several thoughts over why South Africa is yet to make a World Cup final – or before that victory against Sri Lanka last week – win a knockout match.
“I’ve gone through the whole package of fighting against it, then accepting it, then fighting against it…now, I’m honestly not putting any emphasis on that at this World Cup.”