Records don't thrill him

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.

“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.

“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.