‘Youngsters need to make right choices’
new delhi — Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, better known as AB de Villiers, who is currently enjoying his life off the pitch after announcing retirement from all formats of international cricket, says young players need to make tough choices to succeed as there are always a lot of distractions which come their way.
“There are a lot of distractions that any player must navigate in their career. It can feel like everyone wants a piece of you when you get closer to the top,” de Villiers told IANS in an e-mail interview.
“When you enter the public stage, there is a lot of pressure on your shoulders to perform at the highest level every time. Any young player looking to succeed needs to make tough choices, work hard and always stay focussed. Starting a family and recovering from injury, I managed to find a balance,” he added.
His mantra in life has been: “To follow your dreams, to be honest and to work hard at whatever you do. Whether you’re on the cricket pitch or at home: being true to yourself is the best.”
The former South Africa skipper suddenly announced his retirement on May 23 from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect.
The 34-year-old batsman said ‘the time is right’ for him to hang up his boots, bringing to close a sterling 14-year career, which saw him finish with a staggering 20,014 international runs (8,765 in Tests, 9,577 in ODIs and 1,672 in T20Is).
“It’s flattering when people call you a game changer, but on any given day, any given player can change the course of a match either with the bat or ball,” he said. —