- The 4-1 series loss to Australia (2014/15):
When de Villiers took over South Africa’s ODI captaincy in late 2011, he was assigned with the primary objective to bring home the 2015 World Cup in Australia.
In the lead up to the duration, de Villiers made that look like a possibility as under his astute leadership; the Proteas emerged as a dominant ODI powerhouse. The team embarked on a winning spree across all conditions, and that pretty much meant South Africa were the side to watch out for in the World Cup.
However, barely three months before the World Cup, South Africa had to deal with a major setback, in the form of a 4-1 series defeat to Australia, Down Under. Against a rejuvenated Australian outfit in their backyard, de Villiers’ men were found wanting, and the five matches resulted in humiliation.
Fair to say, it wasn’t the ideal preparation South Africa wanted, with the World Cup ever so close. As captain, that series stood as de Villiers’ best chance of beating Australia and further sending shockwaves to the hosts of the tournament. Personally though, in that series, the batsman amassed 271 runs in four games and had a fine outing.