It tells the story of a player at a crossroads in the game, a champion in his country's colours now consigned to being a freelancer on the global franchise circuit. It was important for me to be honest about things that have not been spoken about before. The point of that was never to be controversial, it was always to protect people.” Yes, I have talent, but it's hard work and mental toughness that got me to where I am. I like to think that I've been able to control myself and take myself to places that went beyond my natural talent."

Du Plessis highlights the importance of the capping ceremony for a debutant. Inspired by Graeme Smith’s captaincy, Du Plessis asked players who knew the debutant closely to speak about the player. It was one way to ensure that players entering the team environment felt welcomed. Faf du Plessis has always been regarded as a charismatic leader, astute tactician, and dependable batter. De Villiers puts in a dive but is short of his ground. South Africa would lose the match by 49 runs as another World Cup went up in smoke. Du Plessis would feel this way when he made his international debut for South Africa in January 2011, shortly after an important culture camp held at Hennops River in Centurion. Although Du Plessis was not part of the team present at the camp, the ideas revolving around team culture would build the foundation for his career as a player and captain.The early excerpts of du Plessis’ book generated their fair share of controversy. Du Plessis clears the air.

With little concern for the optics, he grabbed a towel, tightly wrapped it around his body, and went to investigate what was going on. Rajasthan polls behind him, strategist for Cong, Gehlot lays out his role: ‘Not about telling anyone how to contest’ Once he learned to accept this, he was able to find comfort in his own journey, one that took a lot longer to reach the apex of his sport. The process turned out to be more challenging than du Plessis anticipated. Initially planned as a six-to-twelve-month endeavor, it ended up taking over two-and-half years. Considered to be the last in the golden generation of Proteas, he also won silverware with the Titans and his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, multiple times.There was 'Zipgate' - where he was found guilty of rubbing the ball on the zipper of his trousers against Pakistan in 2013 - and 'Mintgate' - an incident in 2016 against Australia where he was seen applying residue and saliva from a mint onto the ball. At times brutally honest, this fascinating, introspective work provides a unique insight into the mind and heart of one of South Africa’s most interesting and charismatic national captains. There is the public persona . . . the tattooed, fashion-conscious, mentally tough, immensely popular and yet, at times, misunderstood Du Plessis. And then there is the authentic Faf. It took him years to connect with this side of himself but, when he did, it shaped his relationships with people and ultimately his captaincy of the Proteas. In trademark Du Plessis humour, he describes a gathering organized by De Villiers on the eve of a Test match against England in January 2005 in which he scored 92 and 109. If things had gone differently I could have played in last year's World Cup, maybe even this one [2022 T20 World Cup] too," he says. It was during the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup. South Africa were cruising towards their target of 222 set by New Zealand.