NEW DELHI: Former South Africa captain: AB de Villiers says that money never motivated him during his illustrious career, insisting that his focus was on improving as a cricketer and competing against the best in the world.Speaking on The Times of India’s “Bombay Sports Exchange” podcast, the 41-year-old reflected on how the financial growth of T20 cricket has changed the aspirations of young players, while explaining why his own journey has not been driven by lucrative contracts or commercial success. Asked if greater financial incentives in Test cricket would encourage youngsters to pursue the top format, de Villiers admitted that money inevitably attracts attention but said it was never the main motivation for an aspiring athlete.“When I was growing up, my only dream was to play for my country in front of big crowds.He believes that the challenge for Test cricket lies in creating excitement around the format rather than simply increasing the player’s income.“If no one is watching Test cricket, then where is the excitement? If there is no buzz around it, no ultimate trophy to be fiercely contested and celebrated, then why should youngsters dream of becoming Test cricketers?” he said.While recognizing: Indian Premier LeagueA remarkable commercial development, de Villiers revealed that he hardly cared about the financial side of the tournament during his playing career.“I’ll probably give you a very boring answer. Throughout my career, I never thought about money, politics or any of that,” he said.“My whole focus is simply hitting a cricket ball every day. That’s all I think about.”The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru star admitted that seeing his bank balance increase was a pleasant surprise, but not something that influenced his decisions.“I sometimes look at my bank account and think, ‘Wow, that’s nice. That’s a bonus.’ Then I ask, ‘What are we going to do now? Invest it? Good.’ And after that, it was back to cricket. How can I be better? How do I win the games? That’s all that matters.”Looking back after retirement, de Villiers said he now appreciates the scale of cricket’s financial development more than what he did as a player.“It’s unbelievable to see how many there are IPL: grew over the years. It’s breathtaking,” he said. “I’m happy for whoever built it.”De Villiers also credits his upbringing for shaping his attitude towards wealth, saying he was raised to value hard work and appreciate financial success.“I was raised in a way where money never moved the needle for me,” he said. “From a young age, I was taught that money doesn’t grow on trees. You appreciate your blessings. You respect other people.”The South African legend said his decision to retire was in itself proof that money does not dictate his career.“The moment I felt like I lost my desire, that’s when I retired. That proved my point—I never played for money,” he said.“The money is a nice bonus, but it’s not my motivation.”Despite believing he could still perform at the highest level, de Villiers realized that the competitiveness that had fueled him for almost two decades was gone.“So I asked myself a simple question: ‘What am I doing here? Am I still playing for money?’ The answer is clearly no,” he said.“That’s when I realized that I would rather spend time with my family and discover new passions and new challenges in life.”