‘I had grass and blood all over’ – AB de Villiers on how Jonty Rhodes’ run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq spurred him to work hard

AB de Villiers, the former South African cricketer, is known for his explosive batting and versatility across formats. But that he is safe as houses as an outfielder and catcher can’t be undermined by any means. In his international career, he took 463 catches and affected some stupendous run-outs as well. The Pretoria-born was also a more than handy wicketkeeper.

Behind his incredible prowess on the field, the 1992 World Cup played a massive role when he was a mere eight-year-old. During a group league match between Pakistan and South Africa at The Gabba in Brisbane, Jonty Rhodes pulled off one of the most incredible run-outs.

I had to practice that run out: AB de Villiers

He dived full length on his front and demolished the stumps to catch Inzamam-ul-Haq short of his crease. Ever since, ABD tried to emulate the dismissal and he practised the same almost every day of his life with passion and dedication.

“When I was 8 years old, I saw the Jonty Rhodes run out live of Inzamam-Ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup. That had a huge impact on me and I practiced that run out every day of my life. I had grass all over, blood, but I had to practice that run out,” De Villiers was quoted as saying in Pak Passion.

The dismissal carved a reputation for Jonty as one of the best fielders of his generation, if not the best. In his career for South Africa, Rhodes ran out 68 batsmen. He also served as the fielding coach for the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

As far as De Villiers is concerned, he retired from the highest level back in 2018 after making his debut back in 2004. Though there’s been reports of his comeback of late, nothing concrete has come to the fore as of yet. He has notched over 20,000 runs at the international level in 420 games.

After retiring, he played for the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, Tshwane Spartans in the Mzansi Super League (MSL), Middlesex in the T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the Royal Challengers in the IPL.