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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

March 17, 2015

AB de Villiers

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

Q. AB, how do you approach this quarterfinal, especially a team like Sri Lanka?
AB de VILLIERS: How do we approach it? I think we've just got to try and play a good game of cricket. I think it's important to sort of play, to focus on what we've been doing well and try and do that tomorrow. We have certain strengths that we like to focus on, and not focus too much on the opposition. So yeah, so answer your question, I feel we've just got to focus on what we've been doing well and try and do that tomorrow. That's as simple as possible. Strike with a new ball, try and bowl them out, and if we bat first, try and get a big total and put them under pressure.

Q. What makes your team different to the ones that have played previously in the World Cup?
AB de VILLIERS: I don't know the previous teams too well. I wasn't at most of them. I only played in 2007 and 2011. Completely different players, different squads. I believe we're ready for whatever comes our way. I can't tell you what's different. There's not much difference except for a whole bunch of new players.

Q. Can you begin to explain how South Africa can be, even at this tournament, sublime one moment and frankly fairly awful the next?
AB de VILLIERS: I don't believe we've been awful in this tournament. I feel we've had a pretty decent tournament so far, finished second in the log. We had a tough game against India where things could have been different, I believe, and that's about it. Other than that, we've played some good cricket. Against Pakistan I wasn't too upset about that except for the fact that we didn't show enough on the batting end but bowled exceptionally well; very, very happy with the bowling performance. Other than that, we're in a very good space as a cricket team. We have to win tomorrow.

Q. How do you feel that you haven't been as bad as I suggested, sort of up and down like that? You've played some great cricket at times.
AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, we've lost two games. We're pretty much on the track that we'd like to be. We finished second in the group still, and that's what it comes down to. No one is going to ask us if we played exceptional cricket when we win the World Cup, we're just going to say that we won the Cup, so we're just going to find a way to win the game tomorrow.

Q. How important is the toss, and how much of an advantage will it be batting first?
AB de VILLIERS: I'm not sure. I don't know yet. Look, it's pretty even stats, I think, chasing and batting first. You saw Sri Lanka chasing really well the other night there. Lots of games have been won by the team batting second here, as well, and the team batting first. It's pretty even. I'm not too worried about that. Whatever happens tomorrow, we'll just try and adjust as quickly as possible, whether we bat or bowl first, and try and find a way to run through them if we bowl first, and if we don't, try and find a way to post a big total.

Q. You didn't practice this morning. Does it get to a stage now where you've got a loft of cricket under your belts and it's just a case of really just topping up when you need it really?
AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, I'm really comfortable with where the team is at, with the form that everyone has shown. I just felt it was important not to focus too much on cricket today, sort of get the brain switched off a little bit before the big clash tomorrow. It's important for us to be fresh. I believe we play really good cricket when we feel fresh and we are mentally fresh and we just play those special situations so much better. That was our thinking, well, beyond today, and I believe we're ready enough. Full confidence in all the players to perform tomorrow.

Q. I guess inevitably already it's been built up as a game, yourself and Kumar Sangakkara featuring in the same game. There are obviously other world-class players, but do you feel this is a great stage for the pair of you given what you've achieved so far?
AB de VILLIERS: To be very honest with you, and I hope you don't take it in the wrong way, I couldn't care less about him or me. I just want to win the game of cricket tomorrow. If it's our No. 11 batsman that wins us the game, so be it. I just want to find a way to win.

Q. Just with not training and trying to be relaxed and pressure free, is that part of it, that you've never won a knockout match in a tournament like this? Is that part of it, that you don't want to focus too much on that history?
AB de VILLIERS: We don't mind putting focus on that. We haven't focused on that because I don't think it's important to focus on what's happened in the past. I believe it's most important for us to be fresh as a cricket team tomorrow and play a good game of cricket. I personally haven't put a lot of emphasis on what happened in '99 and 2003, 2007. What's important is we play quarterfinals of the World Cup tomorrow. I believe, going back to his question earlier, there's a lot of different things that we believe in in this cricket team that maybe was different in the past. We can't focus on what happened back in the day. We just can work with what we have right now. I'm the captain of the team and I want to lead by example, and I believe the guys will follow.

Q. I know you said you didn't want to talk about your individual performance, but do you get a chuckle when the Sri Lankan prime minister tells his team to watch out specifically for AB de Villiers?
AB de VILLIERS: I don't know about that. But I believe they've got to watch out for all 11 playing tomorrow.

Q. Just on your captaincy, are you quite satisfied how you've led the team tactically, and with the knockouts, do you feel you need to be a little bit more proactive in your captaincy?
AB de VILLIERS: Proactive? Sure, I thought I was quite confident and aggressive when it comes to that. No, I captain on instinct. I follow my gut feel. When we're in the field I like to think of and put myself in the situation of what I would do as a batsman, and I feel I have a pretty good gut feel when it comes to that. That's it. I make the best decision for the team. If it doesn't come off, I've learnt; if it does, then great captaincy. Simple as that.

Q. As a group of players in the test arena especially you guys have achieved a lot together, and from a South African point of view, a golden generation in terms of group of players together. Do you guys sit to the side and chat about what you can possibly achieve, and what if we don't achieve; is this our final chance?
AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, look, the guys are very aware of what's happening, and where we're at in this tournament. Part of the reason why we took today off and just played a few games in the park and just had a good time and a laugh and just felt each other out a little bit. We know exactly what's coming tomorrow. It's an important game. It's exactly what we've been working for for the last two to three years. It comes down to tomorrow. We're very prepared for this. Yeah, just ready to go. Obviously there's history to be made, and if we do come through this, it'll be great. But we know it's important to come out there tomorrow and just to focus on the basics and do a few things right in order for us to win. All our focus will be on that.

Q. In 2007 there was -- before the semifinal there was Mickey and Graeme and Batch and Jacques and I remember there being not enough talking to break the tension. You were very much a younger player then, but do you have those sort of ice breakers, those people who are able to make people laugh and cut through if there is any tension or nerves?
AB de VILLIERS: I think we have. Look, in 2007 I remember that tournament clearly still. I was very comfortable and confident about what we can achieve as a team then. It didn't happen for us. I don't like to break things down like that too much and say, no, there wasn't enough chat. I think we actually overanalyzed there, and there was too much chat the night before we played Australia. Look, we'll try and keep it simple on this team. We're really a bunch of good guys; we're locked in. We really enjoy each other's company. We had a wonderful team dinner last night, had a nice laugh. There's enough laughing, there's enough stress, there's enough nerves, there's good cricket, there's enough bad cricket. We've got a mixture of everything on the team. We've just got to find a way to win tomorrow. That's my main message to the guys, and I really believe we're ready for that.

Q. Is everybody fit, AB?
AB de VILLIERS: Everyone is fit and ready to go as far as I know, yeah.

Q. The management end of other teams always spoke about getting to the stage where you win three games and possible glory. Russell yesterday spoke about playing these big matches and the big moments. How do you really get ready for that? I know after Pakistan you said you just felt the energy wasn't there. Tomorrow how do you prepare for that? Do you just hope that it's there on the day? What's the ingredient?
AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, I think it's partly my responsibility as a captain to lead the way that I want the boys to go out there, the way that I show energy together with a few senior players around me and the language we use, the kind of energy we show when we walk out, the things we do and the way we lead I think will make it easy for the rest of the guys to follow, and just see, okay, this is what should be happening in the quarterfinals of a World Cup. I really believe that myself and a few of the senior players know how to play these kind of games in the pressure situations. We've done it before, and there's no reason why we can't do it tomorrow, and it's a matter for the rest of them to follow. We'll have a few chats tonight. We've got Mike Horn here. He brings great energy to the team. He'll have a bit of a chat to us about -- he had a chat to the Germans who won the World Cup not long ago, things that worked for them. We can maybe a learn a little bit from that. Other than that, I've got to lead by example as a captain, and I believe the guys will follow.

Q. I asked the question to Russell and he laughed and he said it took us four minutes, all of us, to talk about the tag of choking, and it's taking a lot longer this time around. I just wanted to ask you, Russell said that we've talked about it, as a team we've talked about the tag. From all the answers you've given us, you seem to suggest that you will lead by example and that is how you will probably tackle that tag. Is that the way it is?
AB de VILLIERS: I haven't thought about that very often. All I can say is we're not going to choke. We're just going to play a good game of cricket tomorrow and come out on top. Simple.
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