The BCCI built a platform where cricketers earned large sums: AB de Villiers

With his autobiography released, AB de Villiers seems to be giving most of the world a preview to the words in the book at the moment. The South Africa skipper, who quite clearly is the greatest batsman of his generation has come out in praise of both the BCCI as well as the CSA for their involvement in the Indian Premier League.

AB de Villiers has been a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore for some time now and will be expected to play a massive role in the following seasons as well. Speaking about the premier T20 tournament, the 33-year old stated that the players started to make astronomical sums of money for playing cricket for just seven odd weeks in the IPL. In the book, de Villiers has mentioned the same in a chapter dedicated to the IPL titled – ‘Inspired by India’.

“It was the BCCI that built the platform on which cricketers were suddenly being paid up to USD 1.5 million to perform for seven weeks. Their fellow administrators around the world recoiled in shock. Some responded by figuratively plunging their collective heads into the nearest bucket of sand, trying to pretend that the IPL did not exist; these governing bodies arranged international fixtures at the same time as the new league and so sought to prevent their leading players from taking the opportunity.”

However, de Villiers considered himself fortunate that the South African cricket board did indeed embrace the IPL. “Fortunately for me, and many other South African players, CSA immediately adopted a more enlightened and proactive approach, embracing the concept of the new league, ensuring the Proteas would never play in the same window, and so enabling our players to enter the auction and participate.”

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“The switch in the venue was good news for the South African economy, which benefited from an injection of around USD 90 million, and it was also good news for me,” he said. “The Delhi Daredevil coaches knew I would bring local knowledge, and I played in every match, scoring an unbeaten century against Chennai Super Kings in Durban and averaging 45.”

Speaking about his teammate in the IPL – Virat Kohli, de Villiers had nothing but praise for the RCB skipper. “For Virat, the bat was a surgeon’s knife, and he so often proved himself uniquely skilled at placing the ball in the gaps,” de Villiers said.