'We Are Here To Win, Not Be Friends,' Says AB De Villiers On Playing Again With Competitive Mindset At WCL

We are here to win, not be friends, says AB de Villiers on playing again with competitive mindset at WCL (Mumbai: Cricinfo Honours Awards)

Former South Africa: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers said defending their World Championship of Legends (WCL) title in the UAE requires balancing off-field camaraderie with an uncompromising competitive drive, revealing that he urged his side to put friendships aside once they stepped onto the park.

De Villiers will captain the South Africa Champions as the tournament runs from October 3 to 18 in Sharjah, with their campaign opening against the West Indies Champions in Sharjah on Sunday.

The defending champions enter the event having claimed the title in 2025 with a dominant nine-wicket victory over Pakistan at Edgbaston, anchored by an unbeaten 120 off 60 balls from De Villiers in the final.

“Yes, being part of the WCL last year, the main part of the decision was to rekindle some of the memories, to share a dressing room with old teammates again and that's definitely the part that stood out in that first season that I took part in. Obviously, I missed the very first season. I played in season two as captain and there were just so many great interactions with old teammates and also old opposition who became friends over the years.

“We stayed in the same hotel and there was lots of banter before and after games and a very casual feeling. But once again, being captain of the South African team or the South African champions came with a little bit of pressure. I just couldn't help but the minute I arrived at the ground to get that competitive mindset going again, I pulled the team in and I told them, we are here to win and we are not here to be friends with everyone.

“That can happen after the games and that's the way we played our cricket. We played fiercely and we gave it our absolute best on the park and it worked out really well for us, ending up winning that trophy was really a highlight that I didn't expect. One of the highlights of my cricketing life or career, even though I'm a retired cricket player, it really stood out as a tournament where we played the big moments incredibly well and we had a very positive and good mindset representing our country.

“But then again, I remember the evenings in the hotel and catching up with old teammates and friends from opposition teams. All of us, just a very happy feeling and that's the way sport should be played,” de Villiers told IANS in a select chat facilitated by FanCode, the official broadcaster of World Championship of Legends.

Former captain Faf du Plessis has joined the setup for his WCL debut and will reunite with de Villiers, alongside ex-Proteas regulars JP Duminy, Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir, Richard Levi, and Colin Ingram, with fast-bowling legend Allan Donald serving as head coach.

Addressing his personal preparation and physical conditioning for the title defence, De Villiers said, “It was great to be part of WCL last year. Obviously, going on to win the tournament was extra enjoyable and cherry on the cake for us. I surprised myself with the way I batted. So, the muscle memory is still there, but physically it wasn't so easy.

“I did start preparing about two months prior to the tournament, hitting balls specifically just to get the muscles ready for action again. But other than that, fitness-wise, I am an active person. I love staying fit. I do a lot of fitness work and I'm in the gym at least four or five times a week.

“So, natural fitness was definitely there and it's still in tip-top condition. But hitting balls is not so easy anymore and obviously the fielding side of cricket is something you always have to stay in touch with. So, I've been actively working on that over the last while and ready to go again.

“Obviously, it's not as serious anymore post retirement, but once you step across that boundary representing your country, you try and win games of cricket and hopefully we can go out there in the WCL 2026 in the UAE to defend our title.

“So, natural fitness was definitely there and it's still in tip-top condition. But hitting balls is not so easy anymore and obviously the fielding side of cricket is something you always have to stay in touch with. So, I've been actively working on that over the last while and ready to go again.

Article Source: IANS