Former South African cricket star AB de Villiers has addressed a comment he made years ago, referring to playing in Sri Lanka as “off-season.” The remark, made during an AIB podcast, had sparked some backlash from Sri Lankan fans over time.
Following Sri Lanka’s recent Test series victory against New Zealand, de Villiers posted a video clarifying the context of his comment. He explained that the remark was related to tourism, not a slight against Sri Lanka’s cricket team. De Villiers emphasized that his words were meant in a light-hearted way, not as a reflection of the country’s cricketing capabilities.
“I said this five or six years ago, and I was completely misunderstood. I love traveling to Sri Lanka,” de Villiers clarified in the video shared on his Facebook page.
His comments have often resurfaced, particularly following South Africa’s defeats in Sri Lanka.