AB de Villiers to share his life in ‘AB: The Autobiography’

From the bustling bylanes of Bangalore to the quaint village cricket setting at Suffolk, practically everybody that’s familiar with cricket recognises AB de Villiers. Ever since the man from Pretoria made his Test debut in 2004, fans have adored him and connoisseurs have marveled at his seemingly superhuman abilities.

Books are a great way to get to know the men and women that shape the course of history. And cricket lovers will now have an opportunity to get to know the man than answers to the chant of “ABD” when his autobiography is unveiled in a week’s time.

While publishers are calling it “the story of a modern sporting phenomenon”, the book, “AB de Villiers - The Autobiography”, promises to tell AB’s story in an unadulterated manner.

“This is AB’s story, in his own words. The story of the youngest of three talented, sports-mad brothers growing up in Warmbaths, of a boy who excelled at tennis, rugby and cricket, of a youngster who made his international debut at the age of twenty and was then selected in every single test played by South Africa for the next eleven seasons, of a batsman who has started to redefine the art, being ranked among the world’s very best in test, ODI and T20,” the publishers said.

The book will chronicle the journey of the boy that went to school at Afrikaanse Hoer Seunskool (Affies), played various sports before eventually realising and fulfilling his abilities with cricket. In addition to covering key moments from his career, his successes, failures and the people that have influenced his life, the book will also explore the man’s interests outside the game.

What might also interest the fan is the fact that de Villiers opens up about the team selection for the 2015 World Cup. South Africa courted controversy when it picked Vernon Philander in place of Kyle Abbott for the semi-final match against New Zealand. In the aftermath of South Africa’s loss, reports emerged that racial dynamics might have played a role in the selection policy leading up to the game. AB de Villiers labelled the defeat "greatest disappointment" of his career and his revelations in the book are bound to be open up a pandora’s box.

“For me, playing for South Africa through the past 11 seasons has been a fantastic privilege, from my debut against the West Indies right through to all the drama of the 2015 Cricket World Cup semi-final against New Zealand a few months ago, and I am looking forward to telling my story,” de Villiers says.

“‘This project is an immensely exciting one for Pan Macmillan. AB de Villiers has proven himself, on and off the cricket field, to be a South African leader and an inspiration to millions of people at home and internationally. We are proud to bring his inspirational story to readers around the world,” says Terry Morris, MD Pan Macmillan.

“AB: The Autobiography” is set to be released on September 8 by Pan Macmillan across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India.