Where would you rank AB de Villiers among greats of the game?

[akilana]

AB’s dominance over Ajmal deserves a mention. Was a key player in SA not losing a series in UAE.

 

[akilana]

Yeah agree with this. A KP 227 on an Adelaide Road is not anywhere near being up there with ABDV's 91 against a raging Mitchell Johnson at Centurion.

That's not to say that KP hasn't had incredible innings on tricky surfaces (186 in Mumbai) but ABDV has just done more IMO and you'll have a hard time convincing me that KP is on his level.

You are better that this. How isn’t he on AB’s level.

 

[Adders]

You are better that this. How isn’t he on AB’s level.

Because I honestly don't think he is. I'm not saying there is a huge gulf, but for me KP is definitely a tier below ABDV.

Already mentioned his Centurion knock, but even in this latest PE test, ABDV just looked a class above every bat on the park........I can't recall a KP innings where he succeeded where everyone else struggled. KP's toughest knock in the trickiest conditions was probably Mumbai 2012........Cook made 122 that innings (albeit at slightly different sr's!!)

 

[harsh.ag]

KP is ABdV Lite, essentially. 85% Lite.

 

[Shri]

I think we can get absorbed too much by the average of 50.67 only (consistency?)

Considering he has played most of his cricket in SA that is a damn fine test average.

HOME : 4586 @ 47.28
AWAY : 3977 @ 55.24

Except Kallis was better at home, which says something about Abdv's performances when rating him among the best. Would be the greatest SA test bat since readmission if Kallis hadn't also played tests. (I also think he's the best in the world atm going just by skill, not Smith.)

 

[Bolo]

I think we can get absorbed too much by the average of 50.67 only (consistency?)

Considering he has played most of his cricket in SA that is a damn fine test average.

HOME : 4586 @ 47.28
AWAY : 3977 @ 55.24

Fair point. KP had a couple of great knocks against McGrath and Warne, AB didn't (before his prime though?). AB did great against Johnson and Harris in 2014, who KP failed against a few months earlier. AB's blockathons in Adelaide, Delhi, SL etc. were very memorable in their own way.

AB only played 3 matches against McWarne, long before he got good and when he was opening the batting before he'd developed the ability to do so. Not something I'd hold against him.

He hasn't actually faced an attack I consider to be great other than McWarne (with the possible exception of the current series), but he has faced a number of attacks that were great at the form they were/in the conditions he was facing them.

You are mentioning blockathons, which don't really stand out to me (I don't remember all of your examples). What sticks out to me is the number of times he's been on a different planet to his teammates in low-scoring games in recent years (your 2014 example). He won RSAs last series with counterattacking 50s that shifted the momentum, and while I don't consider either of these to be great knocks, there are other examples- both 50s vs India 2015 for example.

 

[RK_123]

I think if I have to rank the four quality innings he played in last 5 tests, it would be:-

1) 126* vs Aus in PE (ATG knock)
2) 65 vs India ( lively pitch and his inning made the difference although if he would have scored a 100+ here, this would have been an ATG knock but still a great one)

Then the other two innings- 71* vs Aus and 80 vs India.They were very good knocks too, not great though.

 

[SeamUp]

I think that just shows you how darn good Kallis' technique was. . Just out of interest - other SA test batsmen since re-admission.

Jacques Kallis
HOME : 7035 @ 56.73
AWAY : 6254 @ 53.91

Hashim Amla
HOME : 4770 @ 48.67
AWAY : 4107 @ 48.32

Graeme Smith
HOME : 3986 @ 41.52
AWAY : 5279 @ 54.99

Gary Kirsten
HOME : 3384 @ 42.30
AWAY : 3905 @ 48.21

Daryll Cullinan
HOME : 2363 @ 44.58
AWAY : 2191 @ 43.82

Faf du Plessis
HOME : 1783 @ 44.58
AWAY : 1269 @ 42.30

Herschelle Gibbs
HOME : 3055 @ 41.28
AWAY : 3112 @ 42.63

Ashwell Prince
HOME : 2231 @ 43.75
AWAY : 1434 @ 38.76




TimesofIndia in 2015 did 10 of his his best for his 100th test but it is the 91 at Centurion vs Aussies on that death door of an uneven pitch , this past India series, so far this Australia series. Twin 50s on a tough and closely fought test at the Wanderers the series before the 91 at Centurion vs Australia. There are other examples I am sure.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...liers-10-of-his-best/articleshow/49765746.cms

 

[Bolo]

In a roundabout way, Kallis is basically the reason I don't rate AB as an ATG. I put him ahead of any batman playing currently on career (although Kohli and Smith have a good chance of going past him they haven't yet). If I was comparing AB to Lara for example, I'm not too sure I'd be confident in saying Lara was greater. But I'm confident in comparing AB and Kallis as teammates and saying Kallis was greater, and I don't consider Kallis to be the best of his generation.

 

[watson]

Kallis and de Villiers remind me a little of the friendly rivalry between Pollock and Barry Richards.

Pollock assumed himself to be the senior pro in charge (I’m going to double your score of 140) while Richards pushed him all the way as the brilliant upstart.

Similar deal with Kallis and de Villiers.

 

[watson]

I view de Villiers as an ATG for the same reason that I view Trumper, Macartney, McCabe, Compton, Harvey, Kanhai, Barry Richards and perhaps Gower as ATGs.

Yes they could have scored more runs, but their brilliance is such that who really cares? Give me an hour of Compton or de Villiers at the crease any day.

 

[vcs]

His 4th innings knock along side Du Plessis in the infamous "bop Shami over long on" Test was also a good one. I think Kallis also made a nice 40 or so in very quick time.