Born François du Plessis in Pretoria on 13 July 1984, Faf began his international journey with an unbeaten 60 on ODI debut against India in January 2011. He was selected for the World Cup soon afterwards, but it was in Test cricket where his fighting qualities truly emerged.
Du Plessis produced one of the great rearguard performances on Test debut against Australia in Adelaide in 2012. After making 78 in the first innings, he occupied the crease for almost eight hours in the second and finished unbeaten on 110 to secure an unlikely draw for South Africa.
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He followed that effort with an unbeaten 78 in Perth, dragging the Proteas from 75-6 to 225 before Graeme Smith’s team completed a famous series victory.
Another marathon followed against India at the Wanderers in 2013. Du Plessis struck 134 and pushed South Africa to the brink of completing a world-record chase of 458 before the match ended in a draw.
His resilience eventually earned him greater responsibility. Du Plessis became South Africa’s T20 captain in 2013 and took charge across all three formats by 2017. His leadership included memorable Test series triumphs in Australia and New Zealand.
He retired from Test cricket in 2021 with 4,163 runs, 10 centuries and an average above 40, choosing to extend his career on the global T20 circuit.
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That decision continues to pay off. Du Plessis recently smashed an unbeaten 113 for the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket, becoming the oldest player to score a century in the competition.
From saving Tests to launching sixes across the world, Faf remains as competitive as ever.
At 42, the fire is still burning.
Photo: Carl Fourie/Sportzpics
