Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has hailed AB de Villiers as arguably the greatest batsman he has ever bowled to in cricket.
Cummins, currently representing the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, where he was on the receiving end of a De Villiers masterclass earlier in the tournament, spoke on the ‘Unplayable Podcast’ about all matters IPL earlier this week.
Having explained what life in the UAE in the bio-bubble is like, Cummins was asked about the brilliance of De Villiers, who has been lighting up the IPL with four half-centuries so far this campaign.
‘I thought he retired,’ Cummins said jokingly to the presenter.
‘He is a superstar. I actually think he is the best batter I have ever bowled to in all formats. Flick and switch, he just hits the ball so cleanly and there are no weaknesses. Some batters might be strong if you bowl it at him, you can go wide; he just middles everything, so he is a class act,’ the 27-year-old explained.
With the IPL reaching the business end and only four games remaining before the playoffs, KKR and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, for which De Villiers plays, are neck and neck in the standings.
Cummins also credited De Villiers’ ability to take the game away from the opposition and how he always finds a way, even against the best of bowlers.
‘He is one of those guys that if someone is bowling 180km/h yorkers, he would still find a way to hit them for six. You just got to stand back and applaud him sometimes. Some of the innings he’s played so far this tournament, he has single-handedly won them [RCB] a few games.
‘He is a class player. Half of me is glad he retired from international cricket, while the other half is a bit like “He is something pretty special.”‘
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De Villiers’ heroics have also led to numerous calls from the cricket fraternity for him to return to international cricket, especially with the T20 World Cup set to take place next year.
RCB has already beaten KKR twice this year, but could very well meet again should both teams reach the playoffs.
