A great book from someone who has for a very long time been a shadow of bigger personalities on the playing field. Prior to his first Test, du Plessis had taken part in the IPL for Chennai and built a rapport with Hussey. Having watched du Plessis’ 376 minutes and 466 balls of defiance with a combination of irritation and admiration, Hussey quietly chose to hand his Chennai teammate a bottle of red wine as a token of congratulation. Despite the challenges in Du Plessis’ childhood with respect to his parents’ dynamic, his father instilled the discipline and mental toughness that allowed him to successfully navigate the hurdles he faced throughout his professional career. Du Plessis was also grateful for his mother’s tenderness and sensitivity that balanced his father’s strict and uncompromising approach to raising him. When we noticed that the ball was going to David Warner quite often – our changing room must have looked like a birdwatching hide as we peered intently through our binoculars. However, Du Plessis clarifies that Boucher’s man-management style may have been different and incompatible with his own.

ODI (D/N): Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Durban, Feb 1, 2017". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 28 December 2020. It’s quite possible that I was still part of Mark’s plans for the future, but he had an approach to leadership that didn’t include soft skills and relational interactions. I just didn’t know him well enough to understand or appreciate his style.”Another important team practice that Du Plessis held dear was the “no cell phone” policy for a half-hour after a game. It gave the team time to connect with each other after a victory or a loss. In particular, it was vital to protect players from the abuse they would typically receive on social media if they did not perform on the day. Du Plessis understood the impact of social media on a player’s mental health after he, and his family, received death threats following South Africa’s loss to New Zealand in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup. After the failure of that World Cup (South Africa finished seventh in the 10-team showing), Du Plessis was once again determined to learn from his errors. It was the most precious gift anyone had ever given me in my life. This wasn’t the beer talking. I’m reflecting on it now, a decade later: I still consider it the best gift I had ever received.”

ODI (D/N): South Africa tour of Australia at Hobart, Nov 11, 2018". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 28 December 2020. I was bowled over when I saw Daryll sitting there. Here I am, a rookie and I share a dressing room with one of the most talented batsmen of his generation. I resolved to do everything in my power to learn as much as possible from him. I knew I would have to earn my place in the starting XI, but the presence of this Protea legend made the merger an incredible opportunity for me to grow. Du Plessis always thrived with a ball in his hand. Initially it was a tennis ball that he would always try to catch, but that eventually led to a red leather ball. In trademark Du Plessis humour, he describes a gathering organized by De Villiers on the eve of a Test match against England in January 2005 in which he scored 92 and 109. The 38-year-old said in a message accompanying the news that his life has been a closed book and that he has not shared his story with those outside his network. However, he explained that through this book, his admirers will be able to peek into his path.I was expecting another salvo of abuse to be aimed at me ... just another day at the office Down Under,” he wrote. ODI: Australia tour of South Africa at Johannesburg, Oct 2, 2016". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 28 December 2020. Mzansi Super League Player Draft: The story so far". Independent Online . Retrieved 17 October 2018. Muthu, Deivarayan; Somani, Saurabh. "Live blog: The IPL 2022 auction". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 12 February 2022.

Ultimately, this book has been a revelation and it was worth the read. I just wish we all live to see FAF’s vision of a diverse and unified Proteas team, winning a world cup, become a reality. Then you go through the process – and I explain to the reader [in the book] – how hard it is. AB is my long-standing friend but he’s also the best player in the world. Even though he stopped playing. Faf du Plessis unveiled as RCB's new captain for IPL 2022". ESPNCricinfo . Retrieved 12 March 2022. On 12 December 2016, with AB de Villiers stepping down as Test Captain, du Plessis also inherited the role. [53] De Villiers steps down as ODI captain, available for Tests". espncricinfo.com . Retrieved 13 January 2018.Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis recalled a painful incident involving him and volatile former Proteas batter Daryll Cullinan. That was hard for me. It was hard for AB as well because at that stage he thought he was done but then realised he could do one more World Cup. For both of us it was tough.”