AB de Villiers knew he’d upset fans, but he wasn’t able to name Virat Kohli among the five best cricketers he played with in Test cricket. One of the greatest white-ball cricketers, AB’s Test exploits are forgotten by some. He played over 100 Tests, averaged over 50, and hit 22 hundreds.
Greatest Test cricketers with ABD’s career
Safe to say, he knows a bit about Test cricket and who the best cricketers were during his career. Asked the tough question, he had no hesitation in naming his teammate Jacques Kallis. And then placed English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff up there as well.
He named Mohammad Asif the best seamer he faced, something he has said before. You can’t forget that Pakistani pacer got ABD out 3 times in just 13 overs. Lastly, he picked Shane Warne for being a magician with the ball.
“Kallis definitely. Flintoff, of course. I just remember… Mohammad Asif. Wow. Probably the best seamer I’ve ever faced in my life. Warnie (Shane Warne) – I loved playing against him. I don’t think Warnie was the best bowler I faced, but just the whole package. The way he looked at me, the way he flicked his hair, the way the ball came out – it was just like it was art. Poetry, in a way.”
“Kallis, Warne, Asif, and Flintoff definitely. Just the big match moments. I remember Edgbaston, him (Flintoff) bowling to Kallis. That was probably the best yorker I have ever seen in my life. The way that the ball moved. Unbelievable,” AB said on the Beard Before Wicket Podcast.
Tendulkar over Kohli
With one spot left, the former South Africa captain picked Sachin Tendulkar. Although ABD played against him when he was no longer in his prime, Tendulkar was still good enough. In his last tour of South Africa in 2010-11, the Test legend scored 2 hundreds at the age of 37. And that’s why ABD had to pick him over his good friend Kohli.
“Tough to pick another one. Just Sachin (Tendulkar) with the crowd, I would say. The way he was acknowledged walking out to bat. It was like a standstill moment. But beautiful the way he batted. Sorry, Virat. That’s why such questions are so tough to answer.”
