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AB de Villiers retires from all forms of cricket

MenInG

MenInG

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket.<br><br>Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. <a href="https://t.co/W1Z41wFeli">pic.twitter.com/W1Z41wFeli</a></p>— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/1461590034193297409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That’s the reality I must accept - and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time.<br><br>Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me.</p>— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/1461590137188622342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me. Whether playing for the Titans, or the Proteas, or RCB, or around the world, the game has given me unimagined experiences and opportunities, and I will always be grateful.</p>— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/1461590226799939590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Last, I am aware that nothing would have been possible without the sacrifices made by my family - my parents, my brothers, my wife Danielle and my children. I look forward to the next chapter of our lives when I can truly put them first.</p>— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/1461590448879902726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Can he be considered ATG?. Unbelievable at his best but Buttler catching up. Still leaning in to his target market too.
 
End of a great career, but one which could have been even greater I think.

I hate the word "talent", but he was probably the most gifted ball striker the game has ever seen. In the list of my top 5 ODI bats ever. Think he underachieved in Test cricket given the talent he had.
 
He had another 3-5 years of franchise cricket left in him. Mr 360 degrees, doubt we will see anyone like him again. However he mostly went missing in crunch games and in pressure situations
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
Can he be considered ATG?. Unbelievable at his best but Buttler catching up. Still leaning in to his target market too.
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Butler is great, but taking all formats into consideration he has nothing on AB.

The fact that AB is an underachiever despite his achievements speaks to how good he is
 
It's a shame his career ends like this, he's basically been retired for a few years and now he's finally done with the sport he goes out without any of the fanfare or most fans even knowing what was his last game.
 
street cricketer said:
End of a great career, but one which could have been even greater I think.

I hate the word "talent", but he was probably the most gifted ball striker the game has ever seen. In the list of my top 5 ODI bats ever. Think he underachieved in Test cricket given the talent he had.
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100%.

He had the type of talent to become one of the greatest batsmen of all time just because most people don't have half of his natural gifts.

In that sense, he underachieved massively. But still a memorable career especially in the shorter formats.
 
A legendary career without a doubt. Became a fan in 2008 when he hit that special hundred in Perth and stayed one throughout his career.

An all time great of the game and arguably the most innovative and versatile batsman of all-time. The only batsman in the game who could bat like Kohli, Smith, Root and Williamson and could also hack it like Buttler, Maxwell, Pollard, Russell in the backend over of a match.

I don't agree with the idea that he prioritised money over country because if that was the case, then he would have played franchise cricket a few years more. Nevertheless, stayed true with his franchise as he joined RCB in 2011 and retires from IPL as RCB player only in 2021.
 
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An amazing striker of the cricket ball, absolutely thrilling to watch on his day. One of the very few cricketers who could literally hit from ball one.

The "good" thing about cricket nowadays is that retirement doesn´t mean that you´re going away from the game in any way. We might´ve to welcome him into the commentary box and, if not then, we might even see him in the RCB camp doing the role of some mentor or something. If none of that, AB de Villiers might be kept to administer the WhatsApp group of the RCB staff. That´s how things run nowadays, in this age of franchise cricket.
 
Retirements don't hit hard anymore because players generally have multiple mini retirements before they finally retire.
 
AB is real definition of a 360 degree player. His array of shots, daredevil fielding and brilliant behind the stumps.
Lots of memorial innings especially in odi and t20. he was fantastic in his last test series against India and will stay in minds of test purists for a long time

He may be a protea but will always stay in hearts of bengalureans for ever
Namma Huduga AB AB AB
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.</p>— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1461610962583101451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
He’s a bit of a poor man’s Butler in the limited forms and the notorious choking is evident by the number of times he has failed to win any domestic or international trophy of note, but he was entertaining to watch and achieved his greatest success in Tests as part of the great SA team which ranked consistently high and performed well away, he could have played for SA a bit longer perhaps but it’s a personal choice. Happy Retirement.
 
MenInG said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.</p>— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1461610962583101451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Kind words. He certainly is the best player of our time.

No offence to Butler, but he doesn't even come close to the AB.
 
if ever a monstrously talented cricketer were to make wrong life choices, all he has to do is follow ABDs path.

With a little application and heart, he could have been the greatest of his era, with a world cup or two under his belt AND even more more money than he has made until now.

Above all this, he could have been South African's forever hero.

All we are left with now is a confusing mess of a legacy, an unfulfilled career and image of a cricketer who played the last few years of his cricket without joy.

A shame.
 
What a beast of a batsman and uniquely gifted!

Arguably the greatest ODI batsman.

Only disappointment was his Test career; don't rate him much in that format.
 
I have heard he has been suffering from back problems for a while and he was able to manage it by reducing his workload. Maybe the problem is now severe enough for him to call it a day
 
I wish we could have seen him more in the PSL before he retired
 
A modern day great without a doubt.

He couldn't win a silverware but he defined modern day LOI batting.

Have a great retirement, Mr. ABD.
 
I never had the chance to analyse the impact Viv had on the game but I was lucky enough to see ABD bat, I would presume that the aura and authority Viv carried in 70-80s ABD carried it in 00-10s. Without a shred in my mind this guy carried the biggest fear factor I saw any batsman carry and that is saying something.

Unlike Viv he never managed to win a trophy for his country which I believe he will regret along with a lot of SAF players from 00-10s would regret. SAF had a great team that should have won something significant but they didn't so in terms of legacy we can talk about all the intangible stuff like aura and fear but we would never associate anything tangible like a trophy next to ABD's name which is a massive regret.

Yes we all believe he had some more years of international cricket left in him and even if he didn't wanted to play international cricket I would have liked him to be associated with CSA for a little longer to ensure the transition to next set of SAF players is smooth but he didn't do that either. Regardless of his international cricket duration and association with CSA he undoubtedly is the biggest impact player I have seen.
 
A nothing player. Couldn’t win anything significant for his country or his club (RCB). Just a stats padder and a bilateral bully, and a mentally weak player who dumped his country to make some easy money (from leagues).

Glad he is a nothin player and retired with no trophy to his name
 
Kohli said:
A nothing player. Couldn’t win anything significant for his country or his club (RCB). Just a stats padder and a bilateral bully, and a mentally weak player who dumped his country to make some easy money (from leagues).

Glad he is a nothin player and retired with no trophy to his name
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I think that's harsh.

He scored the fastest ODI century ever. A proper 360 degrees batsman.
 
Self entitlement held him back from becoming an even better cricketer. Faf and Steyn carried themselves way better than he did.
 
Most gifted batsman I've ever seen - more so than KP, Lara, Ponting, Sachin etc. One has to remember that AB has had a bad back since his teenage years or something. Should have never taken up wicketkeeping. Even with all that, I can't think of another batsman who could play out 220 balls for 33 odd and at the same time smash a 30 ball hundred. Peak Johnson on a fast bouncy Centurion pitch, peak chucker Ajmal on turning decks - he has dominated them all. Great entertainer. Go well, mate.
 
MenInG said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.</p>— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1461610962583101451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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If he didn’t mention RCB, I would have thought he’s talking about a Pakistani batting legend who’s still playing.
 
No message in Urdu?

Never had any consideration for Pakistan or it’s fans.
 
AB de Villiers retired the day he played his last game for South Africa.

All these IPL/PSL/CPL popcorn retirement announcements are just PR fluff and should be treated as such.
 
Probably the most talented batsman ever to play the game.
His ODI numbers are unreal and with solid numbers in tests, he is undoubtedly an all time great batsman and one of the greats of IPL.
But, his lack of international commitment and zero ICC trophies make him somewhat inferior to other ATGs.
His ultra defensive innings against India was my favorite Devilliers innings
 
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One of the greatest batsman of all time and possibly the most talented. With that being said, he retired around 4 years ago for real.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You were my childhood inspiration and I always tried to learn from your charismatic approach. I still remember the first time I met you and how welcoming you were. You have inspired many generations of cricket. Wish you the very best and a happy retirement, <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABdeVilliers17</a>! ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/nlqsyW8iSI">pic.twitter.com/nlqsyW8iSI</a></p>— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258/status/1461699101645434883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
AB belonged to that rarefied field of elite players - who made people turned on TV while he batted (as Buttler stated).

One of the very few players who had his peers and colleagues as fans of his batting.

It also a testament to his legacy that almost every single player wishing him on his retirement were influenced by him. They were genuinely in awe of his batting.

It was a pleasure watching him bat. Wish you all the best champ.
 
Incredible waste of talent. Sadly greed got the better of him but at least some good achievements in Tests.
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
Incredible waste of talent. Sadly greed got the better of him but at least some good achievements in Tests.
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A fantastic batsmen (those knocks vs peak Johnson) with all the skill in the world but not a tenth of the character of the real AB
 
Kohli said:
Put money above his country. Lost all the respect
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Lol then why he's retired from all form of cricket..? He can easily milk cash another two three years from franchise cricket even if his returns are big zero...
 
Smbhayi said:
Lol then why he's retired from all form of cricket..? He can easily milk cash another two three years from franchise cricket even if his returns are big zero...
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But he did put money above his country. Idc what u have to say. A money sucker who was bought for few bucks
 
Kohli said:
A nothing player. Couldn’t win anything significant for his country or his club (RCB). Just a stats padder and a bilateral bully, and a mentally weak player who dumped his country to make some easy money (from leagues).

Glad he is a nothin player and retired with no trophy to his name
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You know RCB isn't his only club, I'm sure he's won trophies for his clubs in South Africa and England
 
Giannis said:
You know RCB isn't his only club, I'm sure he's won trophies for his clubs in South Africa and England
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It doesn’t matter. Only ICC tournaments and IPL have high pressure games and high quality cricket. And he showed he is mentally weak and couldn’t win nothing . Accepted that he’s good for nothing hence took the retirement
 
Kohli said:
It doesn’t matter. Only ICC tournaments and IPL have high pressure games and high quality cricket. And he showed he is mentally weak and couldn’t win nothing . Accepted that he’s good for nothing hence took the retirement
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All tournaments have high pressure games, you won't feel it unless you're a follower of certain leagues and support a specific team. The IPL to me and most non-Indians doesn't seem "high pressure" at all, it's just another domestic league to us so we aren't as emotionally invested as Indian fans who may think a clash between the Delhi Dragons and Banglaore Bouncers is the biggest match up in the world. The only thing the IPL is huge match attendances due to India's massive population and craze for cricket but even then it matches up with the MCG's energy.
 
Giannis said:
All tournaments have high pressure games, you won't feel it unless you're a follower of certain leagues and support a specific team. The IPL to me and most non-Indians doesn't seem "high pressure" at all, it's just another domestic league to us so we aren't as emotionally invested as Indian fans who may think a clash between the Delhi Dragons and Banglaore Bouncers is the biggest match up in the world. The only thing the IPL is huge match attendances due to India's massive population and craze for cricket but even then it matches up with the MCG's energy.
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It is. And high attendance does create a lot of pressure. If u do not agree with me do not tag me. Keep ur opinion to urself. To me only IPL and international cricket is of high pressure and quality
 
JOHANNESBURG: Former Proteas batsman, AB de Villiers, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket today, calling time on his participation in all T20 leagues across the world. This follows his retirement from international cricket in May of 2018.

In a statement released on his social media platforms, he said:

“It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket.

“Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. That’s the reality I must accept - and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time.

“Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me. Whether playing for the Titans, or the Proteas, or RCB, or around the world, the game has given me unimagined experiences and opportunities, and I will always be grateful.

“I would like to thank every teammate, every opponent, every coach, every physio and every staff member who has travelled the same path, and I am humbled by the support I have received in South Africa, in India, wherever I have played.

“Last, I am aware that nothing would have been possible without the sacrifices made by my family - my parents, my brothers, my wife Danielle and my children. I look forward to the next chapter of our lives when I can truly put them first.”

De Villiers bows out of the game as one of South Africa’s most prolific talents.

At 37 years of age, the icon ends his career with 9 424 T20 runs at a strike rate of 150.13 in 320 innings. He was not out 67 times, with four centuries, 69 fifties and a high score of 133 not-out. He also took 230 catches and has claim of 18 stumpings.

“It’s safe to say that AB is in a class of his own,” commented Cricket South Africa (CSA) Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith. “I was fortunate enough to not only play with him, but to captain him as well. Always a team man, AB was never afraid to step up to the plate in whatever capacity his team needed him in. He has batted, bowled and kept wicket for South Africa with the same passion and drive he puts into every task requested of him – we won’t even mention the outstanding fielder that he was on top of it all.

“It won’t just be fans of South African cricket who will miss his presence on any and every cricket surface in the world, but his fans and former teammates from around the world as well. He is one of South African cricket’s most beloved products and we are proud of how he has represented his country, whether in or out of Proteas clothing. I’m certain this won’t be the last we will see of AB and I wish him all the best for all of his future endeavours.”
 
Kohli said:
And Afridi held that record for almost two decades. It’s a nothin record. 360 “degree” batsman but doesn’t have “pedigree” to win a trophy tho
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Trophies are won by team.

Piyush Chawla has won two,doesnt mean anything
 
Winning an ICC tournament is not everything, you need luck going your way for that. At the end of the day, winning is a function of team, not individuals.

On contrary, if I set a benchmark that if you have not achieved test series wins in Australia and England, then you haven't achieved anything then by that logic, Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram won't have achieved anything in their careers. In contrast, ABD has won his team test series wins in Australia and England.

So, ultimately it is your performances and consistency that matters and not what tournament your team wins. That goes down to team effort and luck factor.

If we talk about his performances in winning, he survived 220 balls to score a 33 to save a test match in Adelaide Test in 2012 and then thumped 169 off 184 a week later in Perth to help win the match and series in Australia.

The versatility level is unmatchable, in a way, he has been a revolutionary in the modern era of 360° batting and many ex-cricketers including Inzamam has highlighted this on his channel too.
 
Cannot recall many innings in a crunch game by ABD i.e. knockout game, semi final or final or a very tough spinning or seaming wicket. A murderous batsman when on song, on top and on a flat wicket, he could play any shot in the book against any delivery and any length. Impossible to bowl too when in the zone.
 
Kohli said:
A mentally weak player who is a HTB, FTB and BB (Bilateral Bully). Good for nothing
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You are on a roll. As an Indian I remember how he led the batting counterattack against Bhuvi which won the Test and the series in SA. Why the hate?
 
Should have represented SA in this year and next years WT20.

Sadly another player lost to IPL.
 
Great talent but mentally fragile Always seemed to go missing in the big knockout or test series

I was also very disappointed with his shenanigans when he retired and always wanted to come back for the world cups

Not someone i admire or would see as a great role model
 
It's amazing how many times players retire these days.

Test retirement
T20 retirement
White ball cricket retirement
International cricket retirement
Domestic and intl retirement but open for franchise
All cricket retirement
😂
 
One of the greatest batsmen ever in white ball cricket , a pure entertainer all the way.
 
Maybe he and Faf could have moved to Namibia too, surely they could have caused few more upsets this year and next year.
 
MenInG said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.</p>— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1461610962583101451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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a bond so great, it never won a trophy :qdkcheeky
 
surprised he retired so early. could have played franchise cricket for a few more years. Maybe theres some lingering injury
 
Guess he is suffering from back problems, else he could have continued longer in ipl

Guess he will be back as fielding coach to some Ipl team soon
 
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Is this the final retirement or there's one going to be one for PSL or CPL as well? It's very difficult to keep a count of players' retirement these days. Talking about retirement has afridi retired or he's still playing some league?
 
There will never be another like him.

Contrary to what other posters are saying, I don't think he owed South Africa anything. Every person should do what they think is best for them.

If you want to represent your country and do well for them, its fine. If not than that's perfectly alright too. Doesn't make you a bad person for doing what's best for you and your family.

And AB did both. In my opinion though, I think his enthusiasm and spirit for representing South Africa took a real hit after the heartbreaking 2015 World Cup semi-final loss. And he was never the same since.

Because that was a tournament in which AB was at his absolute peak, and that South Africa should have won. And at the time no one seem more devastated by that than AB himself.
 
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Trail-blazing cricketer. Mr 360 who revolutionised white-ball batting yet hit 22 centuries in Tests averaging 50.

Scored the fastest ton in ODI history, yet could grind out a 30 from 300 balls to try save a Test. What a career.
 
Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers is undoubtedly one of the finest cricketers in the history of the sport. Making his international debut in 2004, de Villiers went on to play 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is, scoring 20014 runs for the Proteas. Apart from this, the wicketkeeper-batter is widely popular for his heroics in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore. De Villiers, who is known by the nickname of 'Mr 360', announced his retirement from international in 2018 and later called time on his IPL career in 2021.

However, in a recent interaction with Wisden Cricket, de Villiers revealed the real reason behind his sudden retirement. He stated that his young son had accidentally kicked him in the eye, which declined his vision.

"My kid accidentally kicked my eye with his heel. I began to lose vision in my right eye. After the surgery, the doctor wondered, 'How on earth did you play cricket like this?' Thankfully, my left eye held up well in the final two years of my career," de Villiers told Wisden Cricket.

The former RCB star further stated that South Africa's defeat against New Zealand in the semi-final of 2015 ODI World Cup, left a deep impact on him. He also opened up about the challenges that he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Covid had an impact, no doubt. The 2015 World Cup was a significant blow from an international standpoint. It took me some time to recover from that, and when I returned to the team, I didn't sense the supportive culture I truly needed at that moment," said de Villiers.

"I thought a lot, like, 'Is this the end for me?' I didn't want to play IPL or anything. In 2018, I took a break. Then, I tried Test cricket one more time to beat India and Australia, and then I'd stop. No spotlight just wanted to say, 'Had a great time, thank you very much,'" he added.

NDTV
 
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Happy Birthday to the cricketing alien, AB de Villiers

Celebrating the master of 360 shots and the king of comebacks.
 
In an interview with Robin Uthappa on a local Indian media outlet, AB de Villiers said:

“I think Shane Warne in 2006 the first time I travelled to Australia, not so much because of skill and technique and also just the presence of the man and the aura he carried. And obviously I was quite inexperienced. I knew from the get-go he was going to get out.”

"That game felt easy, but he was just a smart, incredible player, and it worked out pretty quickly. That’s my technique. It’s not quite spot on when it comes to playing straight. So, he was really going slow, slow, slider straight. And I missed the straight one and not long after that, that was my weakness for 2005, 06 and 07 I would miss straight balls, especially angling a bit back.”

“I would fall over, touch with my head. My back lift was a little bit beyond my back and. And I had to pay the juice. I mean I had to go back to the drawing board to figure out my technique, but he was a man who could figure out little things like that and understand there’s something not right with this guy’s bat lift. Let’s go straight and just sided it in there and ultimately I missed one.”

“Bumrah was always very challenging because he was so competitive, he would never back down, is always in your face so I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the way he plays his cricket. I got a hold of him even a few times. He came back at me and got a hold of me a few times and I love that competitiveness.”

“Rashid Khan, tough to pick at night once again. Got him a few times and he would always come back. Always in your face. He hit him with three sixes, as he was trying to get me out the next ball. And those are the kind of bowlers I always found difficult to face and always had a lot of respect for.”
 
Virat Kohli's letter for AB Deviliers:

To AB,

It is an honour to be selected to write these words as you enter the ICC Hall of Fame.

You are thoroughly deserving of your place – after all, the Hall of Fame is a representation of your impact on the game, and yours has been truly unique.

People have always spoken about your ability, and rightly so. You are the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one.

But what truly stood out to me was your belief in that ability. You had a crazy amount of belief that you could execute whatever you wanted to on a cricket field, and you normally did. That is why you ended up being so special.

There is no better example in my mind than when we were batting together for RCB in Kolkata in 2016.

We were chasing 184 against an attack including Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Andre Russell and Shakib Al Hasan. You came in to join me with around 70 on the board and Narine was bowling.

You played and missed a couple and told me during a timeout that you weren’t picking him too well. I felt I was, so I remember telling you to give me the strike and I would try and hit boundaries off him.

In the first over Narine bowled after the timeout, I was ready at the non-striker’s end thinking you were definitely giving me a single. So, imagine my surprise when you back away to the leg side, Sunil follows you and you slog sweep him over square leg for a 94-metre six!

I don’t know what happened in the timeout to give you the belief you could do that. I just remember saying to you, “you’re a freak!”

If I have a lack of belief against someone, I’d just try and get off strike – but you hit him for a 94-metre six without picking the ball. That sums you up. You could just do things our minds were not ready to process, and then everyone thinks ‘how the hell did that happen?’.

That is just one of so many fond memories I have batting alongside you, times which provided some of the most fun I have had on a cricket field.

When we ran between the wickets, for example, we never called for runs. It’s a very difficult thing to explain practically but there is a feeling to it.

There was a complete understanding of where the ball was going and nothing needed to be said. Fielders were always under pressure when we were batting. I don’t ever remember missing a two with you or being in a position to be run out. It was amazing, as if we understood so perfectly that we were always on the same page.

Through my time playing with and against you, you always had a very clear understanding of how the game should be played and you never really veered from that, regardless of whether you were doing well or not.

It was never about someone else. It was never about competing with another player. It was always about what impact you could create for the team. In difficult situations, you were the man bailing out your team more often than not.

Your drive to want to be the guy to win the game for your team was tremendous and something I learned a lot from. I remember taking from you that it doesn’t matter what you have done in the last four games, it is about how you approach the game today. It is about always being positive, always taking the game on and finding a way to get the job done.

You were always completely in tune with the needs of the team, which made you one of the hardest players to make plans for when we were on opposing sides in international cricket.

Everyone remembers your attacking shots but you would adapt to the situation. Take 2015, in Delhi, when you faced 297 balls and made 43 trying to save the Test match.

There must have been a temptation at some stage to think ‘I’ve faced 200 balls, I need to hit a boundary’. But once you locked yourself into what the situation required, you just kept going on and on.

It all comes back to that belief in your ability. It wasn’t just about the crazy, extravagant shots. You had the ability to defend the ball and had belief in that defence. To play that way because South Africa needed you to do so is a classic example of the team player you were.

A lot of players can have impressive numbers but very few have an impact on the psyche of those watching. For me, that is the highest value you can have as a cricketer and that is what makes you so special.

You are in the Hall of Fame for the impact you have left on the game and I don’t think there is anything more special for a cricketer than to have that honour.

Congratulations, biscotti. You are one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
 
One of the most extraordinary players to have played the game.

An all condition, all format batsman who possessed the versatility which was unmatchable.

The 400 run chase ton he got in Perth in 2008 really set the stage for him as that hundred not only set up a series win for South Africa but it was finally the start of the end of Australia's dominance in Test cricket which stayed for last 12 years(1995-2007). He went on to hit double hundreds in India and UAE( vs Pakistan) and his 174 at Headingley after getting booed in that test match showed the kind of character he was, especially the mindset to prove himself in tough situations.

He could play a blockathan to save a test match and follow it up with a counter attacking knock in very next test match to win the series in Australia like he did in 2012-13 tour. He averages 100+ vs Pakistan in UAE, showing his ability to play on slow wickets.

He averaged 57 as keeper batsman for those two years between 2012-14 which also coincided with his peak years otherwise if he actually played as a specialist batsman, he could have quite easily averaged 80-90 for those two years as we have seen players do average very high when they hit that purple patch. Unfortunately, I felt keeping took a toll on him and restricted him to score more double hundreds and him keeping was not even needed given his freakish ability in the field.

Nevertheless still a terrific career with unmatchable versatility and a player whose skills and class he showed was worth admiring across his career.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Virat Kohli's letter for AB Deviliers:

To AB,


A lot of players can have impressive numbers but very few have an impact on the psyche of those watching. For me, that is the highest value you can have as a cricketer and that is what makes you so special.

You are in the Hall of Fame for the impact you have left on the game and I don’t think there is anything more special for a cricketer than to have that honour.

Congratulations, biscotti. You are one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Click to expand...
Perfectly sums it up how I feel about players having impact.

AB was a freak player. He could play 360 degrees and then he could block 300 balls to try to save a test.
 
Ab Fan said:
One of the most extraordinary players to have played the game.

An all condition, all format batsman who possessed the versatility which was unmatchable.
Click to expand...

Extremely rare player who could adapt to ODI and Test both and go toe to toe aginst the best.

Not often you get to see a batsman who has wild numbers in den of oppositions in both formats. If that's not enough, he was fantastic in WC games as well. Avg of 77 with SR near 120. He could block 300 balls to save a test and then smash big runs quickly. I can't recall seeing a more versatile player. A real a top tier player in all formats.

AwayAB.jpg

...

AwayODIAB.jpg
 
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