AB de Villiers - Mr 360's retirement from all forms a massive void in the world of cricket

AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, meaning he will not play the 2022 Indian Premier League.

AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. (Image credit: Twitter)
By Siddharth vishwanathan | Nov 19, 2021 | 4 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

At about 12:30 PM IST on November 19, amidst the clamor of Tim Paine resigning as captain of the Australian team ahead of the Ashes, one legend quietly retired from all forms of cricket. On his Instagram handle, AB de Villiers announced that he was retiring from all forms of cricket. This means that he will not be part of the 2022 mega auction. His final match thus will remain the Eliminator against Kolkata Knight Riders in Sharjah. In that match, he was dismissed for 11 by Sunil Narine.

This was not like the announcement of his retirement from international cricket. With questions over his fitness and commitment over club vs country, de Villiers had released a video on his social media channels that said that he was tired. This was just before the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. All the hope South Africa and cricket fans had on his return was dashed. In the middle, he did tease a return to the international fold during the ICC World T20. But, when the door was shut, de Villiers knew it was shut for good. Now, with Royal Challengers Bangalore knocked out in the IPL Eliminator and prolonging their title drought, the stage was set for de Villiers to make the final announcement.

AB de Villiers and 360 cricket

On his social media handle, he just stated that the flame did not burn brightly for him. “Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. That’s the reality I must accept – and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time. Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me. Whether playing for the Titans, or the Proteas, or RCB, or around the world, the game has given me unimagined experiences and opportunities, and I will always be grateful.”

The world and cricket fans have to be grateful for AB de Villiers for his brand of cricket. When he was at the peak of his powers, batting was made to look ridiculously simple. The range and array of shots that he had were simply jaw-dropping. Fastest fifty, Fastest 100, Fastest 150 have all been accomplished in grand style.

When he broke the record for the fastest hundred in 2015 in Johannesburg, it was a sight to behold. The scoops, the paddle, the brute force, and timing were all there to see as the West Indies paid the price heavily. One particular shot though stands out. Dwayne Smith bowled a yorker outside off. Many batsmen would have missed it. But, de Villiers angled the bat and squeezed it past third man for a boundary.

Another one was a wide yorker outside off. But, de Villiers sliced a six over deep backward point while making room. Those two shots summed up the macrocosm of de Villiers’ batting genius. Calculating and backing the skills to the hilt, de Villiers was a finisher par excellence. Just ask Jaydev Unadkat and Dale Steyn who were blown away by his assaults.

Lack of titles a major blow for de Villiers’ legacy

The audacity and range of de Villiers’ batting was a sight for all cricket fans in the world. There is no doubting the mastery of de Villiers’ batting in all formats. But, there is one thing that tarnishes de Villiers’ legacy and that is no major ICC or IPL title.

The glory years of South Africa cricket were primarily due to their all-condition bowling attack and batting. Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis, de Villiers, Steyn, Vernon Philander, Quinton de Kock, and Morne Morkel were all superstars par excellence.

It is a damning indictment that with all these players, South Africa could not win a single ICC tournament. The sight of de Villiers’ tears after South Africa exited the 2015 semi-final in Auckland against New Zealand melted a lot of hearts. The press conference quotes afterward showed de Villiers a broken but resolute individual. In every tournament from 2006 till 2019, South Africa found ways to get eliminated. Each time, AB de Villiers suffered heartbreak.

When one looks at the whole picture, it can be pointed that de Villiers did not have much ICC tournament success. But, for South Africa and world cricket, he truly is a genius in the art of batting. His entertainment will be sorely missed. Indeed, he was a once-in-a-generation player.





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