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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

March 7, 2015

AB de Villiers

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Q. Can you please explain the difference when your team chases or when they bat first? What is the difference? What is proving to be the difference?
AB DE VILLIERS: I'm not sure. It's a disappointing loss that once again we seem to not get enough partnerships in pressure situations. We've done it in the past, but unfortunately tonight we couldn't do that, so very disappointing loss. I felt that Pakistan wanted it more than us, so there's nothing wrong with the batting. It's just a matter of urgency and being prepared to fight it out. They bowled pretty well tonight. They were geared up and really wanted to win the game. You could see that from a mile away. I tried to get the boys going before the game. Didn't feel like we had enough energy, and I guess that showed with the batting and just not prepared to find it out. And it's very disappointing.

Q. In your opinion, what was exactly the turning point of the game? Obviously you got off to a decent start despite losing De Kock early, and secondly, the Pakistan bowling attack, as you said they wanted it more. This bowling attack, what is the difference between this Pakistan attack?
AB DE VILLIERS: I wouldn't say there is a turning point. Every time we lost a wicket was a turning point. It was all about us not losing wickets and them picking up wickets. Run rate doesn't have an issue. It was a matter of stringing up a few deliveries together and getting the partnership going. We couldn't get that going throughout the night. Because they had a good bowling attack like most other teams in this tournament, there is nothing extraordinary about the attack. They just ran in with a lot of energy tonight and so you have to give credit to them for that. The captain got them going lastly. You could see a lot urgency about and intensity about what they're doing out there. Yeah, obviously came close towards the end there, but the top 7's got to do better than that.

Q. What is it that determines what the team's mood is like, and how do you as the captain sort of inject that energy, and what do you do when you can see it's not there?
AB DE VILLIERS: I'd like to think that as a captain who has played for quite a bit that no one should have an issue representing your country. I'm not blaming anyone. I'm not saying anyone didn't have the energy. I didn't feel any electric vibe at the warm-up. That is normally a bit of alarm bell going off for me. And secondly, it is my responsibility to try to get the guys going, which I couldn't, so maybe I should take responsibility for that. I just could feel that nothing was really happening at a hundred percent. It was almost like a car that's stuck in second or third gear, and that's not going to win you games, especially not under pressure and in big tournaments like this. So we need to have a chat about what maybe went wrong tonight and try to get to fifth gear again against the UAE.

Q. Vernon fell with fitness before the game; is that correct? And how do you feel about him not being in the side, especially in terms of the batting at the lower end?
AB DE VILLIERS: Yeah, we hoped he would be ready. It was a bit of a curveball just before the game. But look, Abbott's done well, but it would be nice to have him batting. Even though Abbott once again was probably one of the better batters tonight. But, yeah, Vernon's a good all arounder and hopefully he'll be ready for the next game, but there is nothing else I can say about the fact that he's just not fit at the moment, so we need to try to get him there.

Q. Where would you suggest the mental state of the side is with two bad losses in this tournament? Both times chasing. Four out of the last five World Cup games that you've chased have been lost. Where is the mental side of it? Is there a lot of scarring there? There is one game now between a knockout?
AB DE VILLIERS: If we want to, we can make it a really as bad as it is, we can make it worse than it is. I wouldn't say there are any scars unless we create the scars ourselves. I truly believe there is nothing wrong with the batting lineup. Nothing wrong with the cricket teams. It's just a matter of pitching up and playing good cricket, and wanting to play good cricket. So I wouldn't say there are any scars. I really believe we can chase down any total at any time. It just didn't happen tonight, and I honestly don't have the answer for you.

Q. Do you think that the score set by Pakistan is not that easy because of the pitch? Do you think when you are coming for batting, do you think that it's not easy due to the pitch? Does the pitch play any role?
AB DE VILLIERS: There was something there, but it was definitely a good enough wicket to chase down even 300 tonight. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the better players showed tonight. So I won't blame the pitch, there was something there, even after a bit of downpour, I think there was a bit of juice in there, and the ball moved around a bit. I thought there were a couple wickets that they had to actually work for. But too many soft dismissals. I will definitely not sit here and blame the pitch. There is no doubt in my mind we could have done more than that even.

Q. Was there any idea in your mind about forming the strike? It seemed like it was Pakistan at the end of the innings?
AB DE VILLIERS: I thought they played it perfectly well. The fact that I got out is what cost us at the end. I always felt if I couldn't score all the runs I had to get one or two of the guys in. Abbott got in. Steyn even got in a little bit. Morkel looked like he was prepared to handle it. I think after that I would have had a proper go. But it was all about me not getting out, and unfortunately I got out.

Q. After a win like this or loss like this, how critical as a captain can you be of your own performance and not the team's performance?
AB DE VILLIERS: I hate losing. I really do. So I have nothing good to say about the team at the moment. I'm very disappointed. Even though I scored some runs, I'm disappointed in my own performance. I should have finished it off. I've done it before so many times. Just couldn't cross the line tonight. Hopefully, we've got four games left in this World Cup, and still an opportunity to lift the trophy. We've got opportunity, like I said before, to fix things against the UAE, to play a really good game of cricket and go into the quarterfinals with a good fresh mindset, and mindset of believing we're the best team here. I still believe that, I've just got nothing good to say about our performance today.

Q. Who in your opinion was more impressive, Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, or Wahab Riaz?
AB DE VILLIERS: That's difficult to say. They all played a role tonight in getting a couple wickets and none of them went for a lot of runs. I think they bowled well as a group of players. I've played a lot against with Irfan and Riaz before, not as much against Ali. They're all really good seamers. Nothing extraordinary, like I said, so no reason for us to lose all our wickets against them. But I think they bowled well with a good intensity and good energy and good mindset, and it shows you what can be done when you do run like that.

Q. You've had a lot of things go your way in the last two games to big victories. You've identified some problems tonight, soft missiles, not much energy at the warm-up. How much concern does that go into the knockout stage of the tournament and what can you do to put that right?
AB DE VILLIERS: It's not a huge concern. Energy levels and intensity levels like the mindset can be controlled. So it takes a couple of talks, especially with a senior group, they should take the lead in games like this. It's difficult in a World Cup, I think, for nine games in a row to have that kind of intensity. If anything, you could look at this game as maybe one of the games it's okay to get it wrong. Even though I hate losing, like I said before, it's maybe not a bad time to go back to the drawing board, have an honest chat with each other about where we're going with this tournament, and then to move forward.

Q. You don't blame your teammates and you've taken responsibility for your own role in this, but it looks from the outside sometimes like too much is being asked of you. Do you feel like that sometimes?
AB DE VILLIERS: I don't, no. I've got full faith in the ability of the players around me. That's why they're all here. I know I can't win this World Cup alone. There is no way. There is no doubt that I can't do it alone, and I need my teammates. I know they've got the capability and ability and the talent to do that. It's a matter of just pulling together as a side, getting together as a senior group of players, helping the youngsters to lift their game a little bit, and together as a unit we can just try to move forward. That is about it. I don't feel added pressure on myself. I don't feel that I've got to do too much. I've got world class players around me. I've got the best batter in the world in Hashim Amla around me, and a lot of other really good players. We can all play cricket.
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