Faf: Through Fire

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This was a really good book, but a tough read as there is a lot of repetition and some of the details behind events can become a bit exhaustive. He takes you through his mindset inside the field while playing some of his greatest and disappointing innings. 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. 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 and MS Dhoni helped mould him as a man who leads with grit, purpose and a love of people.

As du Plessis wrote, “There are three words one should never forget or underestimate: Everybody needs love. he describes just one game of the T20 against England and doesn't mention the score or the other games in the series. 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.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. 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. Domingo’s empathetic approach to coaching with the phrase “everybody needs love” stuck with Du Plessis and he uses it often throughout the book. Instead, it left Du Plessis feeling insecure about his position in the team by the end of Boucher’s first series as coach. 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.

He also explores the destructive relationships, offering his perspective, in devastating detail, on his final years of international cricket. 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. Despite the challenges in Du Plessis’ childhood with respect to his parents’ dynamic, his father instilled the discipline and mental toughness that allowed him to successfully navigate the hurdles he faced throughout his professional career. I found interesting the difficulties of bringing together a nation with the many different cultures and ethnicities. He speaks openly about the 2015 World Cup, his relationship with Cricket South Africa, and South Africa’s disappointing World Cup performances.Du Plessis credits his wife, Imari, for bringing about balance to his life and facilitating a values-driven approach to their relationship, which would then be the bedrock of his leadership philosophy in the South African cricket setup. While he lacks the warmth I look for in a coach, his behaviour towards me might not have been him ignoring me. The lack of a template for a healthy relationship contributed to Du Plessis’ frequent indiscretions in his personal life. This was essential after an unpleasant encounter with Proteas batter, Daryll Cullinan, who expostulated Du Plessis for disrespecting his seniority by sitting next to him. However, I found the style the book was written in to be too repetitive and I often wanted to skip a couple of sentences as I had already caught on to what he was trying to communicate.

The books is at times uncomfortable to plough through as it smacks of a bumbling self-absorbed child with a victim mentality. The disappointment he experienced at seeing a number of rituals that were instated during his captaincy no longer being followed is evident in his writing.Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. Also, the recipient is thrilled and completely surprised that I was able to get a hold of this book. He is considered to be one of the best fielders in the game and among the best all-format batsmen of his era. Upon reading the book, however, it is evident that cricket is merely the backdrop in Du Plessis’ story. An interesting and worthwhile read, Faf telling his story from childhood to 2021 with all the details in a very personal fashion.

If I wanted something from him besides cricket, it had to come from me, and I wasn’t comfortable with that being our dynamic. All in all, 'Faf :Through Fire' is honest, insightful and, at times, vulnerable account of a man who defied all odds through hard work and determination. I just wish we all live to see FAF’s vision of a diverse and unified Proteas team, winning a world cup, become a reality. 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.I likely would not recommend this book as the interest surrounding the back of house ongoings isn’t worth the self-promoting arrogance of the man-child himself. Owen Eastwood, a world-renowned performance coach from New Zealand, who worked extensively with the South African team on its team culture, and formed a partnership with Du Plessis when he was appointed captain, attested to the effectiveness of combining a human-centred approach with the technical skills. The first part of the book which is about his schooling and youth cricket career is interesting, as is his decision to pursue cricket full-time after school and his days playing club cricket in England, where for a season he slept behind the scoreboard. Both, Domingo and Gibson, invested in their relationship with du Plessis and bought into the team culture that he was trying to create. Raised on a diet of Sachin Tendulkar’s straight drives, Aditya fell in love with the game after watching Sachin’s Desert Storm masterclass in 1998.