AB de Villiers bids adieu to international cricket
South African stalwart and cricket legend AB de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. This comes as a big shock to all fans and cricket lovers alike. AB shared his retirement news on social media site Twitter. One of the greatest ever, AB leaves a rich legacy behind after having ruled international cricket over the years.
AB makes a big decision!
AB was in supreme form in 2018
Both against India and Australia in the Test series this year earlier, he looked in supreme form. He was one of those consistent performers for the side and took responsibility of the middle-order well. One wonders whether he could have at least played till 2019 given the ICC World Cup is only 12 months away. He also had a good time in IPL 2018.
A look at AB's career stats
He played 114 Test matches for South Africa besides 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is. He scored a mammoth 8,765 Test runs with a best of 278* at an average of 50.66. In ODIs, the legendary cricketer amassed 9,577 runs at a healthy average of 53.50. He had a total of 47 centuries in both Tests and ODIs.
360 degree batsman: AB is a special player
ABD's attacking batting style has been compared to the likes of Sir Vivian Richards. AB could hit shots in any direction he wanted to. For this, he was named Mr 360. He has the record of the fastest century in ODIs (31 balls). This knock against the West Indies gave a glimpse of what AB de Villiers could achieve on the pitch.
AB's tryst with injuries
Injuries hampered his career. This year AB suffered a finger injury and missed half of the ODI series against India. He then missed T20Is due to a knee injury. Over time he has been in and out of the team because of injuries.
