AB ducks 'anything silly' as Proteas fly out

14 October 2014 - 02:02 By Telford Vice
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AB de Villiers has not allowed the cares of captaincy to affect his free-spirited approach to batting.
AB de Villiers has not allowed the cares of captaincy to affect his free-spirited approach to batting.
Image: REUTERS

AB De Villiers was all diplomacy yesterday at OR Tambo airport before the Proteas jetted off to New Zealand, where they will play three ODIs.

They will then playthree T20s and five ODIs in Australia in the stiffest test of their readiness for next year's World Cup.

ODI captain De Villiers was careful not to insult the Kiwis.

"I don't think they're a bits and pieces team any more. They're too competitive to be labelled like that," De Villiers said.

But he had a trickier time being unreservedly nice about the Aussies, what with the happy memory of beating them in the Triangular Series final in Harare on September 6 .

He said: "They're very hungry, especially after we beat them in Zimbabwe, and they'll want to give us some payback. I believe we've got a bit of an edge over them.

"But I don't want to say anything silly."

South Africa have won 14 ODIs and lost 16 against the Aussies in Australia. Australia's hard, fast surfaces make more sense to South Africans than New Zealand's putty pitches, but, given that they will play half of their six World Cup group games there, South Africa had better get acquainted with the latter.

Said De Villiers: "It will be good to get a bit of confidence against two teams I see as threats in the World Cup."

De Villiers denied that selection for the World Cup team was a sealed deal.

"T here's certainly a spot or two up for grabs."

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