5 reasons why AB de Villiers is the Super Man of Cricket

5 reasons why AB de Villiers is the Super Man of Cricket: Has anyone seen ABD and Superman in the same room? No? Shhh, it’s a secret! I know it’s a cliche when I say that AB De Villiers has been lighting the Cricket world on fire for quite a few years now, but, then again, everything is a cliche when you describe this mighty batsman/great Keeper/a very good Captain/magnificent fielder and what not! Basically, he is a jack as well as the master of all trades. In fact, I no longer call him AB anymore. The name Superman suits better to the freak that is AB. So, what makes him the most fearsome batsman of the modern era? Why is he considered the best batsman, a freak, a legend by his peers? Here are 5 reasons that best explains the hype surrounding the South-African: 1. INNOVATIVE: AB de Villiers Innovative shot. (Photo Source: BCCI) Innovative, unorthodox, unconventional, Genius; You name it! Some of the shots that AB plays in the T20’s and ODI’s are just out of this world. The way he swept Malinga in the last match during his knock of 133, like he was just a regular spinner was unreal. As the Proteas skipper has said several times in his interviews, he doesn’t really care about where his stumps are as long as he is watching the ball well. The paddle sweep when the fine leg is inside the ring, the reverse sweep when the third man is inside the circle, the scoops over the Keepers head and few other innovative shots, which I honestly don’t have the words to describe makes him “the” most innovative batsman in the world right now! 2. PERFORMANCES IN TEST MATCHES Ab de Villiers. (© Getty Images) The best judge of a player’s character is his performances in the longer format. Sure, you can score runs in the shorter form of cricket but to survive in the longer format you need the grit, the determination, the technique to start regularly for your side. This is where AB De Villiers comes good and probably why he is the best batsman in the world cricket! Averaging above 50 in test match cricket, he plays the exact opposite role of his T20 self. He is patient, mature, a very good leaver of the ball and probably one of the best test batsmen in the world right now along with Hashim Amla and Michael Clarke! As someone said, judge a player by the way he plays in the longer format. Well, this is AB for you! 3. CONSISTENCY: Ab De Villiers. (© Getty Images) If you want to be the best in the world in whatever sports, the most important thing you need is consistency. Sure, you can have few knocks which can go down in history as one of best. For instance take the 175 runs knock by Chris Gayle against Pune Warriors or the 264 by Rohit Sharma against Sri Lanka. Both were one of the best knocks the world cricket has ever seen, but, AB has the tendency to score these “freak” knocks more often than any of his peers. The guy is the definition of consistency. Just look at his average across all formats or maybe a call to Jason Holder or any West Indian would do! 4. MASTER OF ALL TRADES: Ab de Villiers keeping. (© Getty Images) As I said before, this guy is an absolute freak. As we all know, he is a genius batsman, but, before the arrival of Quinton De Kock, AB used to stand behind the stumps and do a damn good job as a keeper. Moreover, he can also bowl part-time medium pace and is an energetic and tactically aware Captain. As a fielder too, he is probably one of the best, if not “the” best in the world, with the reflexes of a cat. So there you have it, the guy is a master of all trades! 5. HUMBLE AS A DOVE: AB de Villiers RCB. (Photo Source: BCCI) With so much success and hype surrounding a player, you would think there’s at least a hint of arrogance around the man? Well, you are wrong! As we have seen over the years, AB prefers to take the back seat after a scintillating performance and usually doesn’t like to take the credit. For instance, against Mumbai Indians in the last match, it was Virat Kohli who was praised by the Proteas Skipper for helping him to calm him down after a shaky start, similarly, after his majestic knock of 162 against West Indies in the World Cup, Rilee Rossouw was the one credited by the Superman for his momentum-changing innings before he could start his onslaught on the hapless Holder and co. Stuffs of legend! So, there you have it! There are probably many more reasons why AB is the best batsman in the modern era but these few points quite describe the legend that is Abraham Benjamin “AB” De Villiers!