AB de Villiers turns 35: A look back at his 360-degree strokeplay which left fans awestruck

AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI cricket.

Former South African cricketer AB De Villiers turned 35 on Sunday. De Villiers, the former South African skipper retired from international cricket in May 2018 after a glittering career that spanned over 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is across 14 years.

For a natural athlete who excelled at multiple sports like rugby, athletics, swimming and tennis during his teenage, de Villiers eventually choose cricket and went onto become one of South Africa’s greatest cricketers in all formats of the game.

When it comes to sheer natural skill with the willow, AB De Villiers has been simply been a notch above the very best in the world. De Villiers is undoubtedly a genius who has taken batting to loftier heights and entertained crowds all over the world with his breath-taking strokeplay. There isn’t any shot in the coaching manual which De Villiers could not execute with superlative ease. In fact, his innovation and improvisation which earned him the nickname ‘Mr 360’ left cricketing coaches and spectators bewildered. Be it the cheeky dab or reverse sweeping a tear away speedster for six, de Villiers has been one of the pioneers of the trigger movement which defies the standard norm of standing still at the crease. His ability to judge the length early and hit the ball to his preferred zone was among his greatest strengths. His superlative hand-eye coordination, nimble footwork and sublime timing made him one of the most feared batsmen in international cricket.

FASTEST ODI 100

In an era which comprised of some of the greatest batsmen in David Warner, Virat Kohli, Hashim Amla, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith and Joe Root to name a few, de Villiers carved a niche for himself. When it came to sheer destructive ability, few could match his prowess with the bat. For over a decade, he was the aggressor in the power-packed Proteas batting lineup which also comprised of stalwarts like Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Quinton de Cock, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and David Miller. While Amla was the refined aggressor with his elegant stroke play, De Villiers was more of a free-flowing stroke maker who could unleash a brutal assault on bowlers and win a game on his own.

162* off 66 balls

On his day de Villiers could tear apart any attack with his stroke play. Some of his knocks in ODI cricket will stand the Test of time. It doesn’t come as any surprise that de Villiers holds the record for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI cricket.  He gave a spectacle of his belligerent hitting by scoring a 31-ball whirlwind ton against West Indies at Johannesburg. Given his batting style, De Villiers also had the penchant for scoring some daddy tons donning both the whites and coloured clothing for South Africa. For the record, he is South Africa’s second highest ODI ton maker behind Hashim Amla. He was also second fastest to reach the 8000 and 9000-run ODI milestone, giving an account of remarkable consistency at scoring runs against quality oppositions around the world.

The start of greatness: 106* vs Australia in 2008

De Villiers is hailed by many as one of the best fielders of his generation and has truly been the heir apparent to the great South African fielding legacy passed on by Jonty Rhodes and Herschelle Gibbs. His superlative fitness, sharp reflexes and great anticipation skills made him an invaluable asset in the close-in field where he pulled off some brilliant catches and effected match turning run-out. The multi-talented de Villiers was also pretty tidy behind the stumps with his clinical wicketkeeping.

Over 19000 international runs with 47 tons at a staggering average of over 50 in both Test and ODI cricket is a testimony to de Villiers’ pedigree as a world class batsman. De Villiers’ aggressive batting was tailor-made to the high scoring T20 format, where he decimated bowling attacks at will in the big money-spinning leagues and for his nation South Africa. De Villiers along with Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli formed a lethal batting troika for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

IPL bonanza

The only blemish in AB de Villiers’ superlative cricketing career is that he could not win a World Cup for South Africa, just like many of his illustrious predecessors. With the 2019 World Cup just a couple of months away in England, can the Proteas batting wizard spring up a surprise by coming out of retirement and helping the Proteas clinch their maiden WC title.