‘I never played for money’: AB de Villiers reveals what, if not paychecks, drove his cricket career

AB de Villiers (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers says money never motivated him during his illustrious career and insisted his only aim was to improve as a cricketer and compete with the best in the world.Speaking on The Tech Word News’s ‘Bombay Sports Exchange’ podcast, the 41-year-old reflected on how T20 cricket’s financial boom has changed the ambitions of young players, while explaining why his own path has never been one of lucrative contracts or commercial success. Asked if greater financial incentives in Test cricket could encourage youngsters to take up the longest format, de Villiers admitted that money inevitably attracts attention, but said it should never be the primary motivation for an aspiring athlete.“Growing up, my dream was simply to play for my country in front of packed crowds. It had nothing to do with money,” said de Villiers.He believes the challenge for Test cricket lies in creating excitement around the format rather than increasing player earnings.“If no one is watching Test cricket, then where is the excitement? If there is no buzz around it, no ultimate trophy to be fiercely fought for and celebrated, then why should youngsters dream of becoming Test cricketers?” he said.While acknowledging the remarkable commercial growth of the Indian Premier League, de Villiers revealed that he barely paid attention to the financial side of the tournament during his playing days.“I’ll probably give you a very boring answer. I’ve never thought about money, politics or anything else in my entire career,” he said.“My whole focus was simply on hitting the cricket ball every day. That’s all I thought about.”The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru star admitted that seeing his bank balance increase was a pleasant surprise, but it never influenced his decision.“Sometimes I’d look at my bank account and think, ‘Wow, that’s nice. That’s a bonus.’ Then I would ask, ‘What are we going to do now? Invest it? Good.” And then it was straight back to cricket. How can I become better? How can I win the games? It mattered.”Looking back after retirement, de Villiers says he now appreciates the scale of cricket’s financial growth far more than he did as a player.“It’s incredible to see how much the IPL has grown over the years. It’s breathtaking,” he said. “I was happy for whoever built it.De Villiers also credited his upbringing for shaping his attitude towards wealth, saying he was brought up to value hard work and gratitude over financial success.“I was raised that money never moved the needle for me,” he said. “I was taught from a young age that money doesn’t grow on trees. You value your blessings. You respect others.”The South African great said his decision to retire in itself was proof that money had never dictated his career.“The moment I felt that desire was leaving me, I retired. That proves my point – I never played for money,” he said.“The money was a wonderful bonus, but it was never my motivation.Despite believing he was still capable of performing at the highest level, de Villiers realized that the competitiveness that had fueled him for almost two decades had disappeared.“So I asked myself a simple question: ‘What am I doing here? Am I still playing for money?’ The answer was clearly no,” he said.“That’s when I realized I’d rather spend time with my family and discover new passions and new challenges in life.”