The books is at times uncomfortable to plough through as it smacks of a bumbling self-absorbed child with a victim mentality. The first part of the book which is about his schooling and youth cricket career is interesting, as is his decision to pursue cricket full-time after school and his days playing club cricket in England, where for a season he slept behind the scoreboard. Du Plessis’ longstanding commitment to representing South Africa is evident throughout his autobiography.

Despite the challenges in Du Plessis’ childhood with respect to his parents’ dynamic, his father instilled the discipline and mental toughness that allowed him to successfully navigate the hurdles he faced throughout his professional career. The best chapter for me though was the one about the swing of a cricket ball, both normal and reverse swing and the science behind it and what teams to to create this to happen, both legal and illegal. Du Plessis adds, “I couldn’t expect Mark to prioritise soft skills and relationships in the way I did. It was Mark coaching in the way that he knew best under extraordinary pressure and me finding it hard to adapt to a leadership approach that contrasted with mine in so many ways.He bares his soul on these pages and acknowledges all the mistakes he made in his life and how he owned up to it and how it helped him grow. He describes his relationship with AB de Villiers and other players in detail as well, in a very raw and honest way. Upon concluding Faf: Through Fire, it would be hard not to reflect on the degree of vulnerability that Du Plessis displays. I likely would not recommend this book as the interest surrounding the back of house ongoings isn’t worth the self-promoting arrogance of the man-child himself. He speaks openly about the 2015 World Cup, his relationship with Cricket South Africa, and South Africa’s disappointing World Cup performances.

Widely considered to be a future South African cricketer right from his school days at the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, it would have been fair to assume that Du Plessis’ autobiography would revolve around his numerous cricketing exploits.In fact, some sections can be turned into self-help material on how to introspect, acknowledge, work on and overcome your flaws. He takes you through his mindset inside the field while playing some of his greatest and disappointing innings.

Although Du Plessis was not part of the team present at the camp, the ideas revolving around team culture would build the foundation for his career as a player and captain. As du Plessis wrote, “There are three words one should never forget or underestimate: Everybody needs love. And I was one of a lot of people who felt betrayed and very dissapointed by his sudden retirement from international cricket. He is considered to be one of the best fielders in the game and among the best all-format batsmen of his era.Watching the India v/s South Africa New Year Test at the Newlands is among his favorite cricket memories. Considered to be the last in the golden generation of Proteas, he also won silverware with the Titans and his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, multiple times.