5 reasons why AB de Villiers is the new 'God of Cricket'

He leads the Proteas squad from the front now

The Respect He Gets From Opposition Players

Everybody loves AB de Villiers and this is applicable even to the players that he competes against. New Zealand’s destructive wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum once said about him, “AB is playing a different game than the rest of us fellows and he does it in all formats of the game”.

Words like these coming from a player in the opposite camp speaks volumes of the respect that De Villiers has garnered among his cricketing circles. Every time he achieves a milestone, compliments from all corners of the cricketing world are showered on the legendary South African through various different channels, particularly social media.

On the field, too, it is difficult to remember any instances of opponent players trying to rough him up. This level of respect is something that only few cricketers have been able to achieve over the years.

His Impact On World Cricket

It is not that AB de Villiers was doing what he does today from the very outset of his career. He did take his time to settle down but since he has realised his true potential, he has not looked back.

His first century in ODI cricket came more than 2 years after his debut in 2005, however, post that he has scored as many as 23. The impact that he has made on world cricket, though, has been in the way he has transformed the dynamics of batting in a matter of few years, especially in the limited over formats.

He has inspired many young batsmen to explore more avenues to get the boundaries when most needed. De Villiers has made the cricketing world believe that nothing is impossible through some of his record-breaking feats in ODIs.

His contribution to the game in his 10-year old career so far has already created a legacy for him which will be difficult to erase.