“As a captain, you wear many hats: you're a player, a coach and, as your influence grows, a selector” – Faf du Plessis
Veteran South African batter Faf du Plessis is conquering the cricketing field at the moment, defying age and physics in terms of the quality of performances. As far as his off-field endeavors are concerned, the former Proteas skipper has taken a step into the literary world in the form of his memoir, Faf Through Fire, which was released in India on Monday, May 15.
Du Plessis made his international debut in the third ODI against India in 2011, playing a resilient 60-run knock in a narrow two-wicket loss. He has not taken a step back since then, evolving into a loyal servant for South Africa, while currently dabbling at the perks of franchise cricket.
Apart from his inventive and fearless batting at the top of the order, teams value the experience and leadership that the 38-year-old brings with him. Having assumed leadership roles across junior, domestic, and international levels, du Plessis has mastered the art of establishing team cultures and guiding a team to success.
In his words, du Plessis breaks down the finer nuances of leadership in the recently released autobiography, Faf Through Fire. He wrote:
“As a captain, you wear many hats: you're a player, a coach and, as your influence grows, a selector. You attend every bowling meeting and every batting meeting, and you are part of every fibre of the team’s being, without being a micromanager.”
Establishing the core fundamentals that he values the most as a captain, du Plessis continued:
"In that sense, I was, almost fanatical about three of our core values: honesty, ownership and challenging each other from a place of authenticity. The second and third were added to the initial pillars of resilience, adaptability and honesty."
Du Plessis is currently leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the second season running. He will be seen in action during the franchise’s crucial final away encounter against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday, May 18.
“To me, the focus on the process in cricket is the same as in life” – Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis led South Africa across all three formats during a turbulent and tumultuous time in the nation’s cricketing history. He captained the Proteas in 36 Tests, 39 ODIs, and 40 T20Is over the course of his international career, and with a high win percentage, became one of the most successful captains in South Adrica's rich history.
Drawing parallels between the principles of life and cricket, he wrote:
“I'm inherently process driven. To me, the focus on the process in cricket is the same as in life. You can’t always control what life throws at you, but you are in control of your process and values, and how you respond to them.”
The veteran cricketer elaborated by adding:
“Our emotions lead to thoughts. Those thoughts dictate our decisions, and our decisions determine our behaviour. By focusing on a process, we can be deliberate in living the values that lead to the types of behaviour we need.to-achieve(the desired outcome.”
Faf du Plessis’s memoir, Faf Through Fire, has been released on Monday, May 15, in India. It is available in bookstores across the country and on major e-commerce platforms.