Jos Buttler names his favorite batsman

AB de Villiers, who holds the record for the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in ODIs, is one of the finest cricketers of all time and not to mention that he has a lot of fan following for his wide array of strokes on either side of the wicket. He has rose through the ranks to become one of the world’s best batsmen, across all formats.

With the ongoing IPL season, the new star of Mumbai Indians batting, Jos Buttler revealed one of his secrets. According to the English right-hander, his all-time favourite cricketer has been the South African star, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers. He also revealed the name of his signature scoop shot during a Twitter Q&A with Mumbai Indians fans on the team’s official Twitter handle.

Buttler and Parthiv gave just the kind of start MI would have hoped for: getting to 82 runs in the power play overs. Buttler played a quickfire innings ensuring Hashim Amla’s century went in vain. To chase a target they had never managed before, MI needed an effort they had never put in before. Parthiv, who looked ominous in the middle, fell just before the power play ended. He scored 37 off 18, which had 4 fours and 2 sixes.

The English wicketkeeper-batsman was replaced by Nitish Rana at the crease, who started from where he had left in the previous games. Meanwhile, Buttler continued to operate in the top gear from the other end. In the first 5 matches this season, he got past the 20-run mark on three occasions but failed to convert on all three occasions. But at last got going in the last match to emerge as the hero for his side.

He to fans queries and revealed quite a few interesting bits of information. He said: “My all-time favorite batsman is AB de Villiers. I love the way he plays his cricket and I think probably he is the leading batsman that there’s ever been. When he gets going, he is amazing to watch. His ability to hit the ball anywhere and so he is my favourite batsman of all-time.”

“If I had to name my signature scoop shot, the inside joke with my brother is it is called a scoopmaru”, he added.  Maru is a cat which became an internet celebrity in Japan after it broke the Guinness World Record for most YouTube video views for an individual animal.

De Villiers is one of the best ever players to grace the shorter formats, where he is currently ranked as the No. 1 ODI batsman. Most of the ODI innings he has played have been full of believe-it-or-not innovative shots, be it the ramp over the wicketkeeper, the cheeky paddles past short fine or the audacious reverse sweeps and reverse pulls while facing up to quick bowlers.

The South African has a lot of followers in the game of cricket and Butler becomes another name to feature on the list.

He also claimed that AB is the “leading batsman that there’s ever been” is certainly open for debate and one that will invite plenty of divisive opinions. But AB is certainly one of the most talented and loved individuals playing the game!