England's veteran wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler recounted an amusing incident involving his wife Louise Buttler and the legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers.
Jos Buttler shares hilarious off-field slip-up with AB de Villiers and his wife
Buttler shared this story during a conversation with Stuart Broad on the YouTube channel 'For the Love of Cricket'. He recalled a memorable moment from his time playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Indian Premier League (IPL), specifically during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams were staying at the same hotel, and it was common for players to socialise and have drinks at the bar after matches. Earlier that day, de Villiers, whom Buttler greatly admires, had suggested they meet up for a beer. This was a significant moment for Buttler, as he had long wished for an opportunity to spend time with one of his cricketing heroes. Following the match, Buttler quickly returned to the hotel, showered, changed, and immediately went to the bar. Despite his excitement, he tried to appear composed, although he was feeling nervous. Meeting AB de Villiers off the field was a big occasion for him, and Buttler was determined not to make any mistakes or awkward impressions.
Buttler continued his story, describing the moment when he and his wife, Louise, finally joined AB de Villiers at the hotel bar. Upon their arrival, AB was already there and casually inquired about their drink orders. Buttler ordered a beer but remained relatively quiet, feeling somewhat intimidated in the presence of his cricketing hero. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Louise turned to AB and asked, "So, what part of New Zealand are you from?"
Buttler was taken aback by his wife's question. He internally panicked, trying to figure out how to navigate the awkward situation. He couldn't believe that AB de Villiers, a highly celebrated and iconic sports figure from South Africa, had just been mistaken for someone from New Zealand. That night, Buttler went to bed convinced that AB would never want to speak to him again. Despite the embarrassing mix-up, he looked back on the incident with laughter and continued to speak very highly of de Villiers, still considering him to be an exceptional player.
“We were in Mumbai playing for Mumbai Indians playing against RCB at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams were staying at the same hotel. Lot of players will sport of congregate in the bar after the match and just have a drink. At the ground AB has said to me let’s have a beer. He is my hero and i got a chance to meet him. So I got back took a quick shower and get changed and went straight to the bar. Like i know I’m nervous but just play it cool,” Buttler said in the podcast.
“So we got in there, and there he is — yeah, what do you want to drink? I’m having a beer. I wasn’t really saying much because I was just… a bit nervous. And then Lou just goes, ‘Oh, so what part of New Zealand are you from?’ I heard that and thought, ‘Oh my God…’ How do I even rescue this? He’s one of South Africa’s most famous sportspeople, and my wife just asked him what part of New Zealand he’s from! I went to bed that night thinking, ‘He’s never going to speak to me again.’ But yeah, he’s a brilliant player,” Buttler signed off.
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