I was bowled over when I saw Daryll sitting there. Here I am, a rookie and I share a dressing room with one of the most talented batsmen of his generation. I resolved to do everything in my power to learn as much as possible from him. I knew I would have to earn my place in the starting XI, but the presence of this Protea legend made the merger an incredible opportunity for me to grow. Cullinan, a talented batter who played in 70 Tests and 138 ODIs between 1992 and 2001, was a divisive character who moved around provinces and was left out of the men's national team in 2002 in controversial circumstances. Du Plessis always thrived with a ball in his hand. Initially it was a tennis ball that he would always try to catch, but that eventually led to a red leather ball. Faf du Plessis suffers memory loss following concussion injury in Pakistan Super League". India Today . Retrieved 23 June 2021.

ODI World Cup: The traits that make Rohit Sharma the captain, and how he differs from his predecessors Kohli and Dhoni Du Plessis among 21 foreign players to feature in PSL playoffs". Dawn. 3 November 2020 . Retrieved 3 November 2020. It will be the first appearance of Du Plessis in the PSL, though he had led a World XI to Lahore in 2017. I got out all my diaries throughout the years, which was mostly about leadership and talks I did with the team and culture around that. Then it just flowed into the book. [I spent] hours and hours, I’d be sitting until two in the morning and writing, so I really became obsessed with it. Du Plessis calls for harsher punishments for ball tampering". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 24 May 2022. He's in bed with my sister as they got married: Faf du Plessis on teammate not playing match". The New Indian Express . Retrieved 29 March 2022.But what appealed to me the most was his relationship dynamics with his parents and his wife- Imari and how much impact they have in his personality. He describes his relationship with AB de Villiers and other players in detail as well, in a very raw and honest way. He also highlighted that his book isn’t just a reflection of numbers that he has achieved through the years. He wanted his fans to know what goes on inside in the minutest of details. He said, “The purpose of the book is that every story that I write in it has some sort of impact on the relationships in my life. Most importantly, the through line, right through the book is leadership. So even sometimes when a story seems like it's about someone, it's actually not really about someone; it's how I experienced it in my perspective." In a matter of moments, the idol from my childhood went from hero to zero. I lost all respect and admiration for him. Du Plessis, an Afrikaans Seuns Hoërskool (Affies) alumni, joined the recently-merged franchise in 2004 where Cullinan was captain. 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. Du Plessis was also grateful for his mother’s tenderness and sensitivity that balanced his father’s strict and uncompromising approach to raising him.

He then turned to me: “Youngster, take your bag and f**k off! Jacques Rudolph is a Test player, and he’s not even sitting next to me. He sits on a chair, but you sit on a f**king sofa. ODI (D/N): Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Durban, Feb 1, 2017". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 28 December 2020.From Azharuddin to KL Rahul to Faf du Plessis, batsmen who got out on 199 in Tests". DNA India . Retrieved 30 December 2020. At times brutally honest, this fascinating, introspective work provides a unique insight into the mind and heart of one of South Africa’s most interesting and charismatic national captains. There is the public persona . . . the tattooed, fashion-conscious, mentally tough, immensely popular and yet, at times, misunderstood Du Plessis. And then there is the authentic Faf. 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. Fortunately, the franchise had high hopes for me: The older players started calling my name and I was included in the group as the rookie, which made me sign a rookie contract. Ali, Rizwan (26 October 2013). "South Africa's Faf du Plessis fined 50 per cent of match fee for ball tampering". The Independent. London . Retrieved 26 October 2013. 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. He was also disturbed to see players focused on their cell phones right after a loss to Australia because the first thirty minutes after a game, in Du Plessis’ view, are crucial for team players to connect with one another.