AB de Villiers – Wicketkeeper batsman extraordinaire – Player profile
One of the most creative and enterprising modern cricketers, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887, is a sight to behold, both in front of and behind the stumps. The South African prodigy, who also holds the record for most Test innings without scoring a duck (78), is also one of the most light-footed in the field.
The 1984-born South African cricketer made his Test debut in 2004 against the Poms, before going on to make his One Day International debut against the same in 2005. In just over seven years, the wicketkeeper batsman has accumulated over 5000 Test and nearly 5000 ODI runs, at astonishing averages of 49.16 and 49, respectively. Alongside having the same averages in both ODI and Tests, he also boasts 13 centuries in each format.
His on-field performance has merited comparisons with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jonathan-Neil-Rhodes-c69150, the legendary Proteas fielder. Utilizing his athletic ability, de Villiers has outperformed his contemporaries behind the wickets, while his footwork on the wicket makes short work of spinners. De Villiers versatility is also one of his strong suits, with his capability to adapt his game according to the format, be it Test, ODI or T20 cricket.
In 2011, shortly after the Cricket World Cup, de Villiers was promoted to ODI and T20 captaincy, replacing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473. His first match as skipper was against Sri Lanka, and resulted in an iconic win for the 28-year-old, as his side defeated the Islanders with a margin of 258 runs, the highest difference on record between two Test playing nations. The ODI series ended with de Villiers aptly being named the Player of the Series, averaging just over 100 runs per match.
Given his skill-set, it was no surprise that de Villiers was a wanted man in the biggest domestic competition, the Indian Premier League. He was contracted by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2011 season, moving from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 Daredevils. In his two outings with the Bangalore based franchise, de Villiers scored just over 300 runs in 16 matches each, averaging over 30.
His recent notable performance came against Deccan Chargers, in the 50th fixture of the IPL, where his unbeaten 47-run cameo helped his side chase a hefty 182-run target set by Sangakkara and company. The Proteas international was on fire, using his feet to make room to score all around the park.
His Bangalore colleague, and Sri Lankan top-order batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Allan-Robert-Border-c43726. He has a huge zone where he can hit boundaries. The paddle shot he hit off Steyn for six was absolutely stunning."
Currently, de Villiers is the leading Proteas run scorer this season with his 160 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, while his name has been nominated in three categories for the 2012 South African Cricket Awards. The wicketkeeper batsman is in contention for SA Cricketer of the Year, ODI Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year, which should come as no surprise, given his averages in both formats.
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