Tag: Ab de Villiers

  • AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    AB de Villiers says Indian journalism has gotten ‘so low’

    Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers hit back at the Indian media for misrepresenting his comments on Hardik Pandya.

    While commenting on the captaincy of Mumbai Indians captain Pandya in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, De Villiers called him a brave captain, but Indian media has taken his statement out of context.

    In a video posted on X (Formerly Twitter) AB de Villiers said, “I see there’s a lot of activity on X about the comments that I made about Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians, and it’s a shame that journalism and reporting has got so low. And I’m very happy that some of you have pointed that out. Taking some of my comments and leaving the rest out.”

    “I very clearly stated and I will state this again, I absolutely love the way Hardik Pandya plays his game. I love the way he captains. All I was saying is his style of captaincy is something he has certainly worked on. It’s not something he can just walk out of a door and you are a brave captain, he decided,” De Villiers added.

    Slamming Indian reporters, the smashing batsman opined, “I wish that you reporters out there would see it for that and write about stuff like that, because that’s actually really powerful. Sometimes you have to put up a front and to show the opposition you are a force to be reckoned with. And that’s what Hardik Pandya does. Well. And I’m saying that style is not always the easiest style to adapt to, especially for some senior players.”

    The leadership of Mumbai Indians was handed over from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, but the performance of Mumbai Indians under his captaincy was very poor and they became the first team to be eliminated from the event.

    Despite a star-studded line-up in the ongoing IPL, the five-time champions have struggled under the leadership of Hardik and are ninth in the points table with just four wins out of 13 matches so far.

  • AB de Villiers predicts ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 finalists

    AB de Villiers predicts ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 finalists

    Former South African wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers recently unveiled his top picks for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in India, scheduled for October this year. During an engaging session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers shared his preferences, highlighting Australia, England, and South Africa as his favoured non-subcontinental teams to make it to the final four.

    De Villiers acknowledged the risk in his choice of three non-subcontinental teams, yet he maintained his stance. He also made a prediction that India, as the host nation, would clinch the World Cup title, envisioning a fairy-tale ending for the home team.

    Expressing his support for South Africa, De Villiers believed in their potential to secure a semi-final spot, even though he recognised Pakistan’s strong chances of qualification. He emphasised the team’s capabilities and underlined his confidence in their coach, Rob Walter.

    The ICC World Cup 2023 is scheduled for October and November in India, featuring 10 participating teams. The tournament will commence on October 5, culminating in the final match on November 19.

  • Babar Azam, Pakistani cricketers pen heartfelt notes for AB de Villiers after his retirement

    Babar Azam, Pakistani cricketers pen heartfelt notes for AB de Villiers after his retirement

    Following AB de Villiers announcement about his retirement, cricket-lovers around the world are expressing their love for one of the finest players to have emerged from South Africa.

    Among those who paid tributes to ABD was Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and other Pakistani cricketers, who also took to their social media handles to share how the star player has inspired them.

    “You were my childhood inspiration and I always tried to learn from your charismatic approach,” Babar wrote on Twitter.

    Recalling his first interaction with De Villiers, he added: “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.”

    Shoaib Malik, Hassan Ali, Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman also lauded the South African, among others.

    De Villiers, who announced his retirement from cricket on Friday, will be remembered as one of the sport’s great entertainers and one of the finest players to represent South Africa.

    He was an outstanding batsman in all forms of international cricket, averaging more than 50 in both 118 Test matches and 228 One-Day Internationals.

  • ‘That flame no longer burns’: AB de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket

    ‘That flame no longer burns’: AB de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket

    Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers took to social media to announce his retirement from all forms of cricket.

    AB de Villiers made the announcement on Friday, November 19, marking an end to an incredible career that spanned over a period of more than 18 years.

    “It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket,” ABD wrote on Twitter. “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,” he wrote in another Tweet.

    Having made his international debut in 2004, AB de Villiers represented South Africa in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is. Across formats, he amassed 20,014 runs, averaging more than 50 in both Tests and ODIs. He retired from international cricket in May 2018.

    England’s batter Jos Buttler also extended his wishes for the veteran cricketer, saying that he used to “turn on the tv just to watch” him bat.

  • Imran beats de Villiers, Kohli and Lanning to win ICC ‘best captain’ poll

    Imran Khan, who led the Pakistani cricket team to victory in the 1992 world cup, has been voted as the ‘best captain’ in a poll tweeted by the International Cricket Council.

    In a tweet, the ICC had shared a list of the best captain that included India’s Virat Kohli, South Africa’s Ab de Villiers and Australia’s Meg Lanning and asked: “Who would you rate as the best among these giants?”

    People chose Imran over all these “legends”, who narrowly defeated India’s Kohli to come on top.

    The poll was created after the ICC shared statistics of these “extraordinary cricketers”. It said captaincy “proved a blessing” for Imran, de Villiers, Lanning and Kohli whose “averages improved as leaders” of their respective teams.

    WHO ARE THESE ‘PACESETTERS’?

    Virat Kohli:

    Virat Kohli is the captain of the India national team since 2013. He is regarded as one of the best contemporary batsmen in the world. In 2018, he became the first cricketer to be awarded the top three International Cricket Council (ICC) awards—Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year.

    Ab de Villiers:

    The South African skipper has been named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during his 15-year international career. Cricinfo has described him as a “cricketer with overflowing talent and the temperament to back it up”.

    Meg Lanning:

    As the captain of the Australian women team, Lanning has multiple world cup titles in her name: one Women’s Cricket World Cup and four ICC Women’s World Twenty20 titles. She also holds the record of most ODI centuries.

    Imran Khan:

    Imran Khan was the captain of the Pakistani team that won the world cup. He is also the one who introduced reverse swing and popularised it.  Spot a left-arm pacer in Pakistan, you’ll glimpse a Wasim Akram; you spot a right-arm pacer in Pakistan, said an article in Cricbuzz.

    REACTIONS TO IMRAN AS THE BEST CAPTAIN: