<p>AB de Villiers requires less than 2000 runs to join the 10,000-club in Tests but the big mark means no more than an “absolute zero” for the South African batting phenomenon.<br /><br />“I mean no disrespect to anyone who has ever achieved that but it means absolutely zero to me to achieve 10,000 runs. I don’t care about that at all,” said the right-hander who has taken a sabbatical from the longer format to keep himself fit and fresh for the 2019 World Cup, winning which is on top of his priority list. <br /><br />“It’s very simple,” began de Villiers about his decision to take a break from Tests this year. “It’s been coming for a few years now, where I’ve felt that I had quite a few reasons where I need to manage my cricket a bit. Firstly, my goal is the 2019 World Cup. We haven’t won a trophy like that in an ICC event before. So my focus has changed over the years, and seeing that we haven’t won one yet and looking at my age – I’m 33 now and probably not going to play for another 10 years – so my chances of winning a World Cup are becoming less and less. And there are a few things that stand in my way to get to that World Cup – it’s physical fitness, mental freshness, time with the family, time at home, things like that,” he explained. <br /></p>
<p>AB de Villiers requires less than 2000 runs to join the 10,000-club in Tests but the big mark means no more than an “absolute zero” for the South African batting phenomenon.<br /><br />“I mean no disrespect to anyone who has ever achieved that but it means absolutely zero to me to achieve 10,000 runs. I don’t care about that at all,” said the right-hander who has taken a sabbatical from the longer format to keep himself fit and fresh for the 2019 World Cup, winning which is on top of his priority list. <br /><br />“It’s very simple,” began de Villiers about his decision to take a break from Tests this year. “It’s been coming for a few years now, where I’ve felt that I had quite a few reasons where I need to manage my cricket a bit. Firstly, my goal is the 2019 World Cup. We haven’t won a trophy like that in an ICC event before. So my focus has changed over the years, and seeing that we haven’t won one yet and looking at my age – I’m 33 now and probably not going to play for another 10 years – so my chances of winning a World Cup are becoming less and less. And there are a few things that stand in my way to get to that World Cup – it’s physical fitness, mental freshness, time with the family, time at home, things like that,” he explained. <br /></p>
