Exclusive: Playing for my country was always more than anything, says AB de Villiers

"You just feel it is time to move on. You feel you are running out of gears".

For years, he had a recurring dream.

Right from the time, his young, impressionable mind could fathom sporting concepts, AB de Villiers grew up having the exact same dream, again and again. Memories can be fuzzy, but he's admitted this one was not.

He could visualize diving to his left while fielding to stop a shot, hurling himself at the stumps to find the batsman short of the crease.

It would be the World Cup final, and the trophy would be South Africa's.

It was a dream he harvested for decades. Unfortunately, it all vapourised into thin air one day.

"The decision was tough, but I have had my turn".

At 34, de Villiers is a retired international cricketer. Some find his decision implausible; his fans swear by his batting wizardry and believe how it is de rigueur for him to still be a part of the game.

Only recently, he had returned from a Test sabbatical and looked set to reawaken his Proteas career. He was smothering the ball neat and sweet. He's averaged over 50 in all three formats over the last two years and scored an ODI career-best of 176 only months back.

Yet, he decided to put an end to that and move on

"You just feel it is time to move on. You feel you are running out of gears. You would not think about the money or the fame you have, but you will feel that you are running out of gears".

"I have always felt that I played with the Proteas giving my 100% on the field. It must be that way" he said while interacting exclusively with Sportskeeda.

"Playing for my country was always more than anything, but it is time for more talents to come in and show their class".

Stepping out from the international arena, however, hasn't stalled de Villiers, the T20 batsman, and his gambolling exploits in the game's shortest format.

He's captaining the Tshwane Spartans in the Mzansi Super League, the latest in the long list of T20 tournaments to have a global foothold.

"In the last six weeks, I am very motivated to do well in whatever I do. For this, I am very excited that the MSL T20 is at home."

De Villiers' celebrated journey took its initial steps in the small town of Warmbad, famous for its hot springs. It's now renamed Bela-Bela, or 'boiling boiling' in Afrikaans. It's also a good way to describe his T20 batting.

For those who gawk at his ability to clear vacant greens with ease, it's a surprise that he grew up playing backyard cricket in confined alleys, where bowlers made the ball talk from six meters close.

'It's impossible to bat,' he had stated in his autobiography.

From draped clothing lines to discarded boxes, there used to be obstacles all around. And, an unassuming laaitjie, playing against elder brothers twice his size, mastered the glance, pull, cut and sweep, much like how he employs all of that (and much more) with a bat in his hand, even today.

De Villiers' range of shots has captivated the public for years

Through all the runs that he has stacked up over so many years though, he stresses on just one integral aspect in batting - focus.

There's a three-fold formula to his success in T20 cricket:

"To be creative is really important. So is to focus on the basics at the same time. And also to keep your eye on the ball. It's very, very basic stuff".

It sounds ridiculously simple. Surprisingly (or not), these are the pointers that would fill up a coach's batting manual. The basics don't change, but 'Mr.360' does.

It's beyond astonishing to believe that a batsman who can fire up a 31-ball century can also lock himself up in the cellar with a painstaking 220-ball 33. From Johannesburg to Adelaide, the de Villiers pendulum of batting oscillates through a beautiful range of hues.

De Villiers, during his 2012 knock in Adelaide, where he batted for 246 minutes for 33 runs

"You have to lay the foundation of the format you play in. Whether it is Test, ODI or T20s. Once you feel comfortable at the crease and assess the situation, you will easily be able to adapt to the game and its format".

Despite his all-around success, de Villiers is most revered in the shortest form of the game. He debuted before the T20 train hit world cricket, and he has made the format his own.

"The game is a lot faster these days, there’s no doubt about that. The bowlers have evolved exceptionally well. You see skills you have never seen before".

"Ten balls in all directions and they bowl knuckle deliveries and wide of the stumps these days, which is funny. You never saw that in the old days and the batsmen have also adapted to that. I think its great how the game has grown".

The last 15 years have seen cricket evolve in ways previously unknown, and de Villiers has lived his journey with it. He's been part of every single edition of the Indian Premier League and is a heavily sought-after commodity in the country that adores him.

De Villiers has played for RCB in eight seasons

Chants of 'ABD!' at the Chinnaswamy make him feel privileged and humbled at the same time.

"I have played 11 seasons of the IPL. I think my game has evolved over those 11 years. The IPL has played a big part in that. I think the game is so competitive there, that it forces you to take your game to another level and that’s what probably it did to mine".

On the way, he's developed a remarkable bond with Virat Kohli, alongside whom he has now played for eight seasons. The yearly meet-ups and the synchronised batsmanship have made the two the darling of the crowd.

"We make friends wherever we go, otherwise, it would be a very sad profession. We have got friends from all over the world, from every single cricket playing nation. The IPL has obviously helped in getting to know guys better".

Kohli and de Villiers during the IPL this year

"But wherever we go, we always enjoy a drink after a competitive game of cricket, no matter where we play".

As he picks and chooses the platforms of his trade, a league has cropped up in his own backyard. With all the places he has travelled to, a satiated de Villiers feels at home with the MSL T20.

"It’s great that our home tournament is taking off and I am very proud of it".

"A global tournament like this (MSL) is coming to South Africa, and it’s going to be a great opportunity for South African cricket, especially for the youngsters. The quality of the game will be high with all these stars and talents coming together. Also, the fixtures look very exciting".

The Tshwane Spartans are being captained by de Villiers

The six-team tournament has a heady mix of T20's best cricketers, both South African and foreign. He's putting his money on a few youngsters from his side to have a special future.

"Tony de Zorzi got a hundred in Abu Dhabi the other day on a global stage. He has got a lot of talent. Lutho Sipamla is going to be a very good bowler one day. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him with (Lungi) Ngidi and (Kagiso) Rabada very soon in the national set-up. I am very happy that he is on our side and I am very excited about the talents".

De Villiers feels liberated, breaking away from the fetters of international cricket, before even turning 35. His long-standing dream, the World Cup, is half a year away, and de Villiers' blazing form has made people wonder if there's another twist to his career. He downplays a comeback, keeping the door ajar 'as of now'.

"I haven’t retired entirely from cricket, but I don’t think there will be a comeback to the international arena. Again, you can’t predict what is going to happen after six months’ time. As of now, there is no plan of an international comeback".

'You can’t predict what is going to happen after six months’ time'

He is content in his new-found, sans-pressure environment, one that now revolves around his family, the people who matter to him the most.

"My relationships with my wife, my kids, my parents, my brothers are the most important things in my life and that’s gone exceptionally well in the last few years. I am extremely happy".

"I feel a lot of happiness in my heart and that’s important"

From the gutsy eight-year-old in the back garden of 20 Mentz Avenue to the all-conquering modern genius, still flattening bowling attacks in Cape Town, AB de Villiers has loved and lived the game in his own inimitable style.

The world is glad that he did.