AB de Villiers is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters the world has ever seen. Known for his 360-degree strokeplay, match-winning knocks, and humble personality, AB was loved not only by fans but also admired by opponents. He has a massive fan following across the globe and remains a favorite even after retirement.
The South African legend retired from international cricket in 2018, shocking the cricketing world. Years later, AB has finally opened up about what really made him take that big decision at the age of 34.
In a surprising revelation, De Villiers said that he had been playing the last few years of his international career with a detached retina in his right eye.
AB de Villiers reveals why he retired from international cricket
“My youngster accidentally kicked me on my eye with his heel. I started really losing vision in the right eye. When I got the surgery done the doctor actually asked me, ‘How in the world did you play cricket like this?’. Luckily my left eye did a decent job for the last two years of my career,” De Villiers told Wisden Cricket Monthly.
He also mentioned that he didn’t even realize the seriousness of the issue until much later. In the lead-up to his full retirement from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, he was struggling both mentally and physically.
“Covid certainly played a role, there’s no doubt about it. From an international perspective, the 2015 World Cup hurt big time. It took me a while to get over that and then, when I got back into the side and I was ready to commit, I didn’t feel the same culture that I really needed at that time,” he said.
De Villiers also admitted that he had doubts about continuing to play and almost lost interest even in the IPL.
“I often found myself thinking, I don’t know, eh? Could this be the end of my career? I didn’t even really want to play IPL or anything else. I got away from everything in 2018 and then decided to push one more time with a bit of Test cricket, to try and beat India and Australia over here, and then I’ll call it. I didn’t want any spotlight on me. I just wanted to say, ‘I had a great time, thank you very much’,” he added.
Despite all the struggles, AB de Villiers left behind a legendary career filled with unforgettable moments. His honesty about his retirement only adds to the respect fans have for him.