NEW DELHI: Former South Africa Captain AB de Villiers says money never motivated him during his illustrious career, insisting his only focus was improving as a cricketer and competing against the best in the world.Speaking on The Times of India’s ‘Bombay Sports Exchange’ podcast, the 41-year-old reflected on how the financial boom in T20 cricket has changed the aspirations of young players, while explaining why his own journey has never been driven by lucrative contracts or commercial success. Asked if a bigger financial incentive in Test cricket could encourage youngsters to pursue the longer format, de Villiers admitted that money inevitably attracts attention, but said it should never be the primary motivation for an aspiring athlete.“When I was growing up, my only dream was to play for my country in front of a packed crowd. It had nothing to do with money,” de Villiers said.He believes the challenge for Test cricket lies in creating excitement around the format rather than just increasing player earnings.“If nobody watches Test cricket, then where is the excitement? If there is no buzz around it, no ultimate trophy that is fiercely contested and celebrated, then why do young people dream of becoming Test cricketers?” he said.While recognizing the Indian Premier LeagueDe Villiers’ remarkable commercial growth revealed that he paid little attention to the financial side of the tournament during his playing days.“I’ll probably give you a very boring answer. In my entire career, I’ve never thought about money, politics or anything like that,” he said.“My whole focus was just to hit a cricket ball every day. That’s all I thought about.”The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru star admitted that seeing his bank balance increase was a pleasant surprise but never something that influenced his decisions.“Occasionally I look at my bank account and think, ‘Wow, that’s great.’ That’s a bonus.” So I would ask, “What do we do now? Do you invest? all right. And then, it was straight back to cricket. How can I become better? How can I win games? That’s all that matters.”Looking back after his retirement, de Villiers says he now appreciates the scale of cricket’s financial growth far more than he did as a player.“It’s incredible to see how much it is IPL has grown over the years. It’s breathtaking,” he said. “I was happy for whoever built it.”De Villiers also credited his upbringing for shaping his attitude towards wealth, saying he was raised to value hard work and gratitude for financial success.“I was raised in a way where money never really moved the needle for me,” he said. “From a young age, I was taught that money doesn’t grow on trees. Appreciate your blessings. Respect other people.”The South African great said his decision to retire was proof that money never dictated his career.“The minute I feel the desire leave me, that’s when I retire. That proves my point – I’ve never played for money,” he said.“The money was a wonderful bonus, but it was never my motivation.”Despite believing he was still capable of performing at the highest level, de Villiers realized that the competitive drive that had fueled him for almost two decades had faded.“So I asked myself a simple question: ‘What am I doing here?’ Are you still playing for money? The answer was obviously no,” he said.“That’s when I realized that I would rather spend time with my family and discover new passions and new challenges in life.”
