4 reasons why we love AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers has often been considered superhuman, and after his shock international retirement, we thought it a good idea to pick out four reasons why we love him.
In case you’ve only just crawled out from under your rock, AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from international cricket, sending the entire cricketing world into a frenzy. We decided to take a look at just why everybody loves South African cricket’s superman.
Cricket fans around the world are calling for AB to go back on his decision as they feel the Proteas will need him for next year’s Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.
AB first made the announcement via a video on his personal app, and then took to Twitter to share the news.
I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 23, 2018
AB can be heard saying, “After 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired.
“This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside,” AB continues.
“It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me, in the green and gold, it must be everything or nothing.”
The cricketing world is still in absolute shock, and it’s not only South Africans who are upset by the decision.
I dont think any other non-Indian cricketer's retirement can upset us as much as AB de Villiers'.
— Diya (@TheCricketGirll) May 23, 2018
AB has one of the largest followings for a cricketer in the world, making it onto ESPN’s World Fame 100 list, which placed him 99th, based on his Google Trend score, social media following and endorsement value.
But just why does everyone love AB so much?
We try to answer the question with the four points we believe could be the main reasons.
1. He just loved playing in pink
The South African cricket team has become one of the largest supporters of breast cancer awareness in the country. They kicked off their support for the initiative in 2013, when they took the decision to wear pink instead of their usual match day green and gold. To this day, they remain unbeaten in ‘Pink ODIs’, and AB de Villiers has contributed greatly to that record.
In the six matches he played in the pink shirt, he amassed 476 runs off only 305 balls at a strike rate of 156,07. Undoubtedly the best innings of the six was his 149 off 44 balls against the West indies in 2015.
It was the innings in which he set the new record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls) and the fastest ODI 100 (31 balls), falling one run short of the fastest ODI 150 record (he’d reach it a month later against the West Indies off only 64 balls).
Relive the iconic innings here:
2. He just didn’t know when to stop (well, until yesterday, that is)
AB was relentless. Whether he was grinding out a match-winning test century against Australia (see below) or blitzing his way through the West Indies bowling attack, AB had no stop button. The only time you could stop him was if he made a mistake, and you could very rarely force a mistake out of him.
A prime example would be his 149 against West Indies in 2015. He was just one run away from the record, so all he had to do was nudge it for a single and take the record in peace, right?
Nope, AB was in full Terminator mode, and just had to keep going. He was caught out at deep mid-wicket by Jonathan Carter off Andre Russell’s bowling going for a maximum.
He just had to.
Relive AB’s match-winning test century against Australia in 2008 here:
What a player! After the bombshell from AB de Villiers, let's take a look back at one of his greatest Test knocks!
Full story on the announcement: https://t.co/OS5Fpwioxa pic.twitter.com/YvmOBMaBvA
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) May 23, 2018
3. He was a master paddler and scooper
We’re not talking about canoeing or kayaking, or even ice cream scoops, but rather AB’s ability to score runs behind the wicket.
A shot that was popularised by Sri Lanka’s Tilakaratne Dilshan – the scoop/ paddle shot – was mastered to a ‘T’ by AB.
In the highlights reel consisting of some of his greatest shots of all time, which is listed below, you’ll see a host of scoops/ paddles.
He can hit a ball anywhere on the cricket field, and being behind the wicket was one of his specialities.
https://twitter.com/MSDhoni7__/status/999263008579715075
4. He’s just not human
We all know it.
AB is from some cricket god planet in the universe that we have yet to find (it’s probably also where Brian Lara, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis come from).
He holds the record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), fastest ODI 100 (31 balls), and the fastest ODI 150 (64 balls).
While he might hold a number of superhuman records with bat in hand, AB’s fielding is also nothing short of super.
He has taken 463 catches throughout his 13,5-year international career, with 222 in tests, 176 in ODIs, and 65 in T20Is.
His most recent superhuman fielding feat came last Thursday, off the bat of Alex Hales.
AB’s Royal Challengers Bangalore had posted 218, and Hales’ Sun Risers Hyderabad were well on their way to reaching the total when AB pulled off something spectacular.
https://twitter.com/nealcol/status/997163286947876864
You can take a look at five of AB’s best catches of all time here:
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