He reflects on how influential leaders such as Gary Kirsten, Stephen Fleming, Doc Moosajee, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Owen Eastwood, Russell Domingo, Ottis Gibson, MS Dhoni helped mould him as a man who leads with grit, purpose and a love of people. 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.

Now to the book: Faf du Plessis has written a brilliant book in which he reflects on his career as a cricketer, primarily as a Proteas' player. His ability and willingness to engage in tough conversations is unusual and sets him apart as a leader. The episode left a sour taste in Du Plessis’ mouth, but it was a valuable lesson he learned early in his career, which ensured that he would strive to make young players entering the team environment feel like they are valued members of the setup.Being a huge cricket fan (as well as a huge Faf fan), I was excited to read and was presently surprised with this book. world cup selection controversy and South Africa's disappointing world cup performances - his autobiography gives a unique, behind the scene perspective into all of these and more. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. Faf became captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL in 2022 and was captain of Joburg Super Kings in the first edition of the SA20 league in 2023. For the team to be accepted by 60 million South Africans as the national team, cross-cultural integration would be vitally important.

He also reveals what really happens behind the scenes at sporting clubs/organisations – such as Cricket South Africa. Although Du Plessis showed incredible discipline in his cricket career, it wouldn’t be until he turned 26 that that discipline was also a part of his personal life. It was Mark coaching in the way that he knew best under extraordinary pressure and me finding it hard to adapt to a leadership approach that contrasted with mine in so many ways. Throughout the book, Du Plessis insists that South African teams are at their strongest when leaders pay attention to soft skills in conjunction with hard skills. Upon reading the book, however, it is evident that cricket is merely the backdrop in Du Plessis’ story.For instance, Du Plessis found Pite van Biljon’s capping ceremony to be a “diluted affair,” compared to the rituals that took place during his captaincy. It’s quite possible that I was still part of Mark’s plans for the future, but he had an approach to leadership that didn’t include soft skills and relational interactions.