AB de Villiers says that ‘money was not the motivating factor’ for his retirement from international cricket.
The 35-year-old called time upon his international career in March 2018, and with that a string of assumptions followed De Villiers regarding his decision.
De Villiers sited tiredness as the reason in his retirement video on Twitter. But after signing with quite a few T20 leagues around the world, there were some who may have believed money was the motivator and that his reason for ‘tiredness’ was slightly flawed.
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The Proteas legend ruled out this reason in an exclusive interview with Sport24.
‘I have participated in a few T20 events around the world, but with all of them I have only spent between three and four weeks away from home, which is refreshing,’ said De Villiers.
‘Money wasn’t the motivating factor in calling time on my international career and focusing on T20 cricket. If I was here to make as much money as I can, I would be playing 10 to 12 tournaments a year.
‘The Mzansi Super League, IPL, PSL and the BPL are the only T20 tournaments that I’ve played in. It’s definitely not about the money, otherwise I would have played in double the events that I have.
‘I’m delighted to be joining Middlesex for the Vitality Blast and I’ve always wanted to play county cricket in the UK. It will be a great experience.’
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He also stated that he has ‘no regrets’ after making the shocking decision.
‘I understand there were some emotions from the public when I retired, but ultimately I had to be true to myself and what I felt 10 months back,’ he said.
‘It was time to move on. I respect everyone’s opinions and emotions. Some said I should have gone on for longer, whereas others understood where I was coming from.
‘You can’t keep everyone happy, and it’s part of life I guess. But one thing is for sure, I’m happy and confident that I made the right decision.
‘I have enjoyed sitting on the side and have chatted to some of the players after the game and still feel involved. It’s great to see that the boys are doing well, and from my side there are no hard feelings.
‘I’m just enjoying life at the moment and happy that I have the opportunity to still wield the willow.
‘I’m not 100% sure what the guys feel on the other side – the coach, the captain and the team. However, I’m pretty sure that they respect my decision and they have moved on really well.’
Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
