AB de Villiers names Gerrit Diest as the toughest bowler he has faced

Layer after layer of Abraham Benjamin de Villiers’ life is unfolding itself after the South African cricketer released his autobiography ‘AB de Villiers: The Autobiography’ earlier this month. In the 12 years of his international career, the smashing Protea batsman has secured himself a place among the greats of the game with some unrealistic knocks. He has changed the way angles and batting crease was used by the bat wielders forever.

Among the most significant abilities AB possesses is that of adapting his game as per the need of the hour. He can pull the brakes and dry things up absolutely if the situation is going against his team and at the same time can go berserk and murder the opposition bowlers to fly away with the game be it Test, ODI or T20 in a matter of overs.

He has dismantled the best bowlers in the world and those South African bowlers who breathed a sigh of relief that they play for the same team, he takes charge against them in the IPL. Who can forget that over Dale Steyn bowled to de Villiers and how he demolished him for 24 runs. Having batted against some of the most lethal bowlers in international cricket Mr 360 in his autobiography has said that Gerrit Deist, a childhood friend of his eldest brother, is the best bowler he has played against.

De Villiers expressed that he never mentioned about it in the media since he would need to talk them through everything in detail to explain it. It turns out that AB loved challenges right from a very young age and he would play cricket with the boys more than a decade elder to him in Warmbaths. The South African skipper described Diest who was 11 years older to him as a “tall, strong fast bowler”.

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Diest wasn’t just another bowler him and also went on to play a first-class match. There isn’t just fond memory associated with him; de Villiers also mentioned that the bowler had once snatched his cap autographed by Jonty Rhodes after the young AB had dropped a catch off his bowling.

For him to develop the kind of game he has today, a lot has to do with the cricket he played as a youngster. In the book he further mentions that he had to be very cautious, little mistakes would give the seniors a chance to criticize him.

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