AB - the man

A Quick Guide

Who is AB?	He is a cricketer, who plays for the Titans in South Africa, the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League and for South Africa all over the world.
A cricketer?	Sure. He’s an attacking top order batsman, now settled at No.6 in the SA batting order. He’s also a bundle of energy and agility in the field and, when called upon, has kept wicket with distinction for province and country.
He sounds busy	He is. Top international cricketers are almost always on the road these days, living out of suitcases, travelling, training and playing. In AB’s case, he gets home now and then for a few weeks at a time, and spends time with his friends in and around Pretoria or with his family in Bela Bela (formerly Warmbaths).
What else does he do?	Well, he loves music. He writes songs and plays the guitar, and is planning to release a CD before long. He also plays golf and tennis.
What does AB stand for?	Abraham Benjamin, but he’s always been known as ‘AB’, just like his father, who is a doctor with a general practice in Bela Bela. His mother, Millie, works in property and he has two older brothers, Jan and Wessel.
Where was he at school?	AB went to primary school in Warmbaths, and then became a boarder at Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool, across the road from Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Affies has always been close to his heart, and he returns to the school as often as possible, usually to support the school rugby team in one of their big matches. His favourite subject at school was Biology.
Cricket	AB’s best day’s cricket was when he scored 174 against England at Headingley in 2008. No surprise, his favourite cricket ground is his home turf, SuperSport Park in Centurion. AB recalls the time when Jacques Kallis took a caught and bowled at the Wanderers and banged his head into the stumps, as the funniest moment on the field. He likes all forms of the game, but Test cricket is still the big deal.
Sporting trivia	Sportsmen AB admires most are Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. His golf handicap is 5.
Is he scared of anything?	Jip, snakes!
Some personal favourites	OK… AB’s favourite song is Needs, by Collective Soul. His favourite films are Gladiator and A River Runs Through It. He likes pasta, and prefers to drink passionfruit & soda. AB prefers to eat at Crawdaddy’s, Menlyn Park, Pretoria. Kate Beckinsale is his favourite actress, and if AB could have dinner with four people of his choice, she would be joined by old-president Nelson Mandela, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. AB’s most-loved book is The Bible. His priorities in life are family and friends. He loves…South Africa
More personal stuff	When he was young, they had a staffie, called Boris. The best advice he ever received came from Jonty Rhodes: “Take every innings ball by ball”. If he had to choose between communicating via SMS, email, letters or the phone… SMS will win!