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Beard Before Wicket Podcast
AB de Villiers: Mr. 360°, World Cup Heartbreak & The RCB Love Affair!
Ep. 23
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Welcome back to Beard Before Wicket with Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Nubaid Haroon and special guest AB de Villiers!
Beards meet cricket!
In this episode AB chats about his career, the World Cup that broke his heart, teaming up with Kohli at RCB, a life changing meeting on an airplane and so much more. This one is SPECIAL.
Available on ALL podcast networks & YouTube!
00:00 Pre Shoot Chat
01:39 Introduction & Welcome AB de Villiers
02:39 The Story Behind AB’s Beard
03:15 Early Life, Childhood & Sporting Talents
05:56 Family Influence and Sporting Upbringing
07:23 South Africa’s Sports Culture & Schooling with Faf
10:42 Breaking Into International Cricket & Early Challenges
13:53 Technical Growth and Evolution as a Batsman
16:49 Batting Triggers, Technique & Adaptability
17:31 Mindset and Ambitions in 2008
19:36 A Meeting On A Plane That Changed Everything
23:37 Jacques Kallis’ Influence
25:05 Memorable Innings vs Pakistan
26:15 Why Test Cricket Is the Ultimate Challenge
28:13 South Africa’s Golden Era of Cricket
30:46 Rivalry and Respect with Dale Steyn
32:57 Motivation and Iconic Series vs Australia
35:09 Controversies and the Ball-Scratching Incident
35:53 Competitive Edge and Embracing Aggression
36:35 Partnership and Understanding with Hashim Amla
39:16 Reading the Game and Outsmarting Field Placements
42:13 The Record-Breaking 31-Ball Century in 2015
43:19 2015 World Cup Journey & Heartbreak
49:19 Why Winning a World Cup Is So Difficult
50:25 IPL Journey & Love Affair with RCB
55:14 Batting with Kohli
57:44 AB’s Love for Other Sports & Hobbies
59:41 Faith and Spirituality in His Career
1:01:08 Reflecting on Career Achievements & Family Life
1:04:44 Picking His All-Time World XI & Cricket Heroes
1:07:44 Comparing Different Cricketing Eras
1:08:35 Post Shoot Chat & Batters That Got AB Thinking
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