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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPMarch 23, 2015AB de VilliersAUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Q. AB, could you give a sense, those two losses earlier in the tournament, do you think in any way they helped to sharpen the focus of the team for what lay ahead? AB de VILLIERS: Um, I guess you could look at it like that if you want to. I never like losing a cricket game, so to me, I don't feel proud of the two losses in the group stages. The nice thing is that it's something of the past, and we've found ourselves in the semifinals of the World Cup and played a really good game in the quarters. There's a lot of confidence behind us. I feel the team is in a really good space at a really good time. We've got a lot of reason to be confident for tomorrow's game. Q. Have you spent a lot of time dwelling on New Zealand and the way they've performed in the Cup, or to your mind is it more about what you do and how you go about your business? AB de VILLIERS: It's silly to focus too much on the cricket they've played because they've played really well. But not only that, I personally don't like to focus too much on the opposition. I've mentioned that in a few pressers before, that I believe that if we play to our full potential that nobody is going to stop us in this tournament. It's more important for me to get the guys in a good space to make sure they're confident mentally, they're fresh physically, because I know at the end of the day, if we rock up and play a good game of cricket that we'll come out on top. Q. Do you have a fully fit squad and can you choose from everybody? AB de VILLIERS: We do. Everyone is fit and ready to go. Q. Vern, as well? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, Vern is ready to go. Q. No fitness test tomorrow? AB de VILLIERS: He'll maybe run through a few paces, but he's been training the last few days, and he looks like he's 100 per cent, so no reason to worry about him. Q. Do you learn anything specifically from the game against Pakistan here that you'll take into the game tomorrow, maybe about the ground or conditions, or do you just start completely afresh? AB de VILLIERS: Well, a bit of both. We definitely learnt some valuable lessons in that game. I was personally very disappointed with that loss. But having looked back now and reflected, I don't think anything over 230 has ever been chased on here in an ODI. It's maybe not a bad thing to notice little things going into the semifinals, the way to go about it, not to panic when you lose a couple of wickets early or whatever happens. There's no need to panic; you can always find your way back on this field and you can keep fighting right until the end. You're never out of it. Yeah, it's nice to sort of get used to the angles of the field, little things like that. I think the crowd will be a big influence tomorrow, so we need to make sure we deal with that, as well, in our way. But yeah, it was just nice to play a great game of cricket here, and knowing that we've played here before. Not really too much of tactics and so on that we learned in that game but just knowing that we've been here before and know what it's about. So I think that'll play a big part. Q. Is it safe to say this game is the biggest match of your career? AB de VILLIERS: It's a very important game. It's difficult to say. I think it's right up there with one of the most important games I've ever played. I've played some games that's been very important to me personally, Test cricket included. There's been some very, very special moments in my career, so it's difficult to say that it's the most important game of my life. Like I've said so many times before, every time I wear that shirt, I feel like it's the most important game of my life. I'm not going to put too much emphasis and importance on this game, even know we know what it's all about. I think the guys know enough. No need to motivate them too much and tell them the importance of tomorrow. We know how important it is. It's a huge occasion for us. Q. What do you remember about 2011 and that World Cup match? AB de VILLIERS: In the quarterfinals? Q. Uh-huh. AB de VILLIERS: I remember we lost. It wasn't a great game for us as a cricket team. But at the end of the day I could walk off the field that day knowing that I gave it my best shot. There's no regrets about that game. I felt in good form. I batted well. Personally I don't have any grudges about what happened in the past. We've got good confidence coming here tomorrow. We've played some really good cricket in New Zealand. In the last five ODIs we've come out on top, and that's what we focus on now. Not too much emphasis what happened here in the Pakistan game, what happened in 2011, 2007. The most important day for us is tomorrow, and we're very confident going into tomorrow. Q. Is it part of your job to go and look at all your teammates in the eyes tomorrow to make sure how they've woken up in case anybody needs a slap, if the sense of occasion is getting to anybody? Is that your job to monitor that, or is that management? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, I won't have to do that. I know the guys are up for tomorrow. Same with the quarterfinals. I'll have a little look about what they're feeling when we get to the -- feelings like when we get to the ground. At warmups you normally get a good indication of where the guys are at, and then the right words will be said in that little huddle. I know all 15 -- well, all 30 of us who are here will be up for tomorrow. Q. Is there any noticeable change you've made in yourself or with other players who have been in past World Cup sides where you haven't won knockout matches? Now that you have, is there any different vibe you can pick up in the mood? AB de VILLIERS: No, not at all. I've had that question a few times coming into the World Cup, what are we going to do different, what's different about this team. There's absolutely nothing different except for we've played some good cricket in the last few years. We've been working towards this World Cup, and working towards a game like tomorrow for a few years now. We're just very ready. We're going to do what we believe are the right things to win tomorrow's game, and that's all we can focus on, and we're not going to try and do anything different. We're going to make sure we play a good game of cricket, and like I said, if we do that, we'll come out on top. Q. You mentioned you've got a fully fit squad to choose from. Have you settled on an 11, and if so, will Philander come in? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, a difficult selection for us. Well, the whole squad is ready to go, and there are a few boys that have put up their hands in the World Cup, so it's difficult. It's really difficult, especially after a win like the last one. It's tough to change the squad and the team that played. But we might have to have a look at a couple of combinations, a couple of possibilities that might strengthen our team. Obviously ideally I would have liked to have turned out our team before the game, but yeah, we're pretty confident with our thinking process at the moment. Q. I just wanted to ask, a lot has obviously been made about this team's history at World Cups, also the history against New Zealand at World Cups. What makes you confident that this team can make history tomorrow? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, there has been a lot of emphasis on our past and South Africa not doing well at World Cups. We don't mind that too much. I've gone through the whole package of feeling emotional about it, fighting against it, then accepting it, then fighting again. Honestly I'm not putting emphasis on that at this World Cup at all. I'm the guy who's got to answer those questions, and I don't mind doing that, but I know the squad is in a really good space, and once against I'm going to say that sentence of knowing that if we play a good game of cricket we'll come out on top. We're that confident in our abilities as a cricket team. I'm really focused about things like getting each player in a good space, and I believe they are. We've got a great management team. They really work hard with the boys, getting the guys in a good space, and we've been going through some really important stuff over the last couple of days of just knowing exactly why we're playing this game, the little things like that that I believe is really important in big games. Like I said, we've been through a lot of hardship in the past with our World Cup games, but we feel very fresh and ready for tomorrow and very excited. Q. Can I also just ask your reaction to the news that Adam Milne has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament for the Black Caps? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, I think it's a big loss for them, and they will deal with it in their own way. But honestly I can't go into it too much because what I honestly can tell you is that we're focusing on our performances. I'm focusing on getting the boys in a good space to win tomorrow's game. I can't focus too much on who's coming in, who will not be playing. We've analyzed all their players, all 15 of them. We know their strengths and their weaknesses. We've seen trends of how they go about their business in this tournament. We know all of that. There's no use panicking about it too much and worrying about it too much now. We're just going to focus on playing a good game of cricket, whoever we are up against. Q. You played under Graeme Smith's captaincy, and have you changed as a person in the captaincy? How has the captaincy been? How do you see your captaincy from Graeme Smith, and as a person have you changed? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, it's difficult to compare myself to Graeme. He was a great leader and did a lot of good things for South African cricket. Yeah, it's tough to compare myself to him. I'm not sure exactly where I'm at as a captain. I've captained for a few years now, so I can't really judge myself as a captain. That's up to other people to do that. Apparently I had a great game in the last game. I just backed my bowlers and trusted my gut. To me it was just another normal cricket game that we played really well, and that's how I take every game I play. We have some good ones and I'm very happy, and we have some bad ones where I feel gutted, and it's just normal to sulk a little bit after a loss, to look at where you've gone wrong and then to move on and try and get better as a cricket team and as a captain. So tomorrow, once again, great opportunity. Yes, I'm nervous. Very excited in the same breath. Can't wait to come out here and hopefully make some good calls and see a team who backs me all the way and backs themselves all the way, which I believe we will. Great opportunity tomorrow. We're all very excited. Q. As a captain, what are the indicators that the team is in a nice space? You've used that word quite a few times. AB de VILLIERS: I trust my gut feel with that. I get a feeling of what the energy is like. It's pretty easy to pick up when you've spent a lot of time with the guys, spent a few years with them, so I know each player individually pretty well. I know what makes them tick, and I know what irritates them, as well. Sometimes it's important to irritate them, to get the best out of them, as well. It's a matter of reading the situation, trusting my gut, and I don't think I'll have to trust my gut too much tomorrow because I know the guys will be up for it. Q. Do you expect a bit of chatter out there in the middle tomorrow, and in games like this they generally do get a bit tense, and if it does happen will you tell your boys to get involved, or should they step back? AB de VILLIERS: Yeah, we're expecting the unexpected. In knockout games things don't always go your way. In World Cups they don't always go your way. Whatever gets thrown at us tomorrow, I believe we have the right personnel to deal with that. New Zealand is normally a gentlemanlike team to play against, but sometimes they do come out and go for what they want, and we're expecting that. I don't think there will be any surprises tomorrow. It's just up to us to really deal with whatever comes our way. I personally don't like to get involved vocally too much. It's all about the confidence and the body language. I think I say enough with the way I go about my business personally as a player, and I'm expecting the team to do the same. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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