A batsman of breathtaking chutzpah and enterprise, as well as the skills and the temperament required to back up his creative intent. A fielder able to leap tall buildings and still come up with the catch. A wicketkeeper who is perfectly at ease donning pads and gloves. A fine rugby player, golfer, and tennis player. All AB de Villiers needs to show off his abundant gifts is a ball. Just about any ball.
Cricket should be pleased to have him. Few drive the ball as sweetly and to the boundary as regularly, and - in South Africa, at any rate - even fewer possess the silkily snappy footwork required to put spinners in their place. de Villiers is also among the fastest and the most instinctively sensible runners between the wickets. Marry all that with an approach to life that veers between laconic and laid back, and it isn't difficult to fathom why he has been afforded senior player status in the South African team years ahead of his time.
de Villiers' potential was recognised years before he made the leap to senior international level as an opening batsman against England at Port Elizabeth in 2004-05. He has batted everywhere from number one to number eight - with the important exception of number three - and has performed well in most of these positions.
After a brief slump in form in 2006 and 2007, de Villiers returned to the straight and narrow early in 2008 with a blistering 103 not out off 109 balls in Durban against West Indies. Later that year came one of de Villiers' career highlights, an undefeated 217 at Ahmedabad. It was the first double-century by a South African against India.
South Africans do not take easily to the precociously talented, but it helps if they do not come across all precocious. Such is the case with de Villiers, whose lazy smile under an every-which-way thatch of blond hair has helped convince the nation that he's worth feeding despite all that talent. The nation is not wrong.
de Villiers adjusts to the requirements of cricket's various formats as effortlessly as someone of his ample abilities should do. So much so that he has yet to fall victim to the curse of selection disputes, a curse that has struck even as accomplished a player as Jacques Kallis. Instead, as a career that should be in its adolescence by the mere measure of time and matches arches ever upward, the only question to be asked about de Villiers is how to deploy him to maximum effect.
Cricket should be pleased to have him. Few drive the ball as sweetly and to the boundary as regularly, and - in South Africa, at any rate - even fewer possess the silkily snappy footwork required to put spinners in their place. de Villiers is also among the fastest and the most instinctively sensible runners between the wickets. Marry all that with an approach to life that veers between laconic and laid back, and it isn't difficult to fathom why he has been afforded senior player status in the South African team years ahead of his time.
de Villiers' potential was recognised years before he made the leap to senior international level as an opening batsman against England at Port Elizabeth in 2004-05. He has batted everywhere from number one to number eight - with the important exception of number three - and has performed well in most of these positions.
After a brief slump in form in 2006 and 2007, de Villiers returned to the straight and narrow early in 2008 with a blistering 103 not out off 109 balls in Durban against West Indies. Later that year came one of de Villiers' career highlights, an undefeated 217 at Ahmedabad. It was the first double-century by a South African against India.
South Africans do not take easily to the precociously talented, but it helps if they do not come across all precocious. Such is the case with de Villiers, whose lazy smile under an every-which-way thatch of blond hair has helped convince the nation that he's worth feeding despite all that talent. The nation is not wrong.
de Villiers adjusts to the requirements of cricket's various formats as effortlessly as someone of his ample abilities should do. So much so that he has yet to fall victim to the curse of selection disputes, a curse that has struck even as accomplished a player as Jacques Kallis. Instead, as a career that should be in its adolescence by the mere measure of time and matches arches ever upward, the only question to be asked about de Villiers is how to deploy him to maximum effect.
Full name Abraham Benjamin de Villiers
Born February 17, 1984, Pretoria
Current age 26 years 280 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Delhi Daredevils, Northerns, Titans
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Born February 17, 1984, Pretoria
Current age 26 years 280 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Delhi Daredevils, Northerns, Titans
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 63 108 13 4540 278* 47.78 8498 53.42 11 23 522 31 88 1
ODIs 109 105 15 4056 146 45.06 4509 89.95 9 24 387 68 79 1
T20Is 32 31 6 590 79* 23.60 481 122.66 0 4 42 20 32 4
First-class 87 151 18 6389 278* 48.03 11341 56.33 14 37 134 2
List A 135 130 18 5135 146 45.84 11 33 101 1
Twenty20 71 67 12 1585 105* 28.81 1263 125.49 1 9 122 48 62 6
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 63 4 198 99 2 2/49 2/49 49.50 3.00 99.0 0 0 0
ODIs 109 1 12 22 0 - - - 11.00 - 0 0 0
T20Is 32 - - - - - - - - - - - -
First-class 87 228 133 2 2/49 66.50 3.50 114.0 0 0 0
List A 135 12 22 0 - - - 11.00 - 0 0 0
Twenty20 71 - - - - - - - - - - - -
Career statistics
Test debut South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Dec 17-21, 2004
Last Test Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
Test debut South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Dec 17-21, 2004
Last Test Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
ODI debut South Africa v England at Bloemfontein, Feb 2, 2005
Last ODI Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
Last ODI Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
T20I debut South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 24, 2006
Last T20I Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Oct 27, 2010
Last T20I Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Oct 27, 2010
First-class debut 2003/04
Last First-class Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
List A debut 2003/04
Last List A Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
Twenty20 debut Titans v Lions at Centurion, Apr 8, 2004
Last Twenty20 Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Oct 27, 2010
Last First-class Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
List A debut 2003/04
Last List A Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
Twenty20 debut Titans v Lions at Centurion, Apr 8, 2004
Last Twenty20 Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Oct 27, 2010
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