De Villers learns captaincy ropes

AB de Villiers has told South Africa fans to be patient with him as he learns the art of captaincy, warning them to “expect a few mistakes”.

The 27-year-old belatedly takes over the reins of the one-day side for the upcoming five-game series against Sri Lanka, which begins today in Paarl. De Villiers was officially named as South Africa’s limited-overs skipper back in June but he missed out on the chance to lead his side against Australia in October because of a hand injury. Now fit and ready to go - and with former skipper Graeme Smith on hand for guidance - De Villiers knows he has some learning to do.

“I’m younger and less experienced than Graeme, so expect a few mistakes,” he said. “We’re obviously different human beings and won’t be the same out on the field. I also won’t be scared to try out new things, to express a bit of flair, hopefully to the benefit of the team.