Kirsten discussed SA captaincy during IPL - de Villiers

AB de Villiers, South Africa's newly-appointed limited-overs captain, has said Gary Kirsten discussed with him the issue of taking on a leadership role in the national team while he was in Bangalore, playing in the IPL.

"He [Kirsten] put the plans on the table and asked whether I would be prepared to do it. Of course one could not say no to something like that," de Villiers said after Cricket South Africa's awards function on Tuesday. "I was a little dumbstruck because he is one of my heroes and it was great to see him."

The offer came as a surprise, de Villiers said. "He phoned me and said he would like to share his thoughts with me. I initially thought he would only be discussing batting with me, he's helped me before with that. I definitely did not expect it. [But] I can't wait for the challenge."

On his style of captaincy, De Villiers said he planned to fine-tune his batting and lead by example. "Gary and I will make plans and ensure that I don't carry too much on my shoulders. I would like to lead by example - I want to be that kind of captain. It's important for me to get runs and lead from the front.

"I will work myself to a standstill in the off-season to ensure my batting is up to scratch. I also have an idea the captaincy will motivate me to play better."