Year in Review: Top ten batsmen in One Day Internationals in 2013

8. AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers – Taking quick scoring to new levels

You don’t see too many batsmen dominate a partnership batting on one leg. If that is the case, you have never seen or heard of an enterprising, all-round cricketer going by the name of Abraham Benjamin de Villiers.

The 29-year old South African ODI skipper is in the same mould as the legendary Jonty Rhodes: superbly athletic, immensely gifted at ground fielding and extremely fit and agile. De Villiers is also a powerful striker of the ball, and his brutal hitting towards the end of the innings has piloted his side to a huge score (or a win) many times.

He is the kind of batsman one needs to be there till the end, executing innovative strokes and getting the runs the old-fashioned way if the circumstances are tricky. Additional responsibilities such as captaincy and keeping wickets have only brought out the best in him, though the 2013 Champions Trophy isn’t exactly one of his happiest memories.

Nevertheless, with such a classy leader at the helm, the Proteas should look to regain the No. 1 ODI ranking very soon.