AB de Villiers now the one and only "AB"

[Cabinet96]

OS is the Amla to Spark's AB.

 

[Spikey]

Amla is good but

 

[Coronis]

Point is that AB's test qualities are more impressive given how hard he's worked to become an ODI great as well. If he'd not bothered practicing reverse lap shots and the like he could theoretically have been an even better test player. So even if you don't care for ODI's, you shouldn't punish him for being really good at them.

If you're looking at Test batsmen, you shouldn't be rewarding him either.

 

[dermo]

os too concerned with his stats, a regular tendulkar

 

[Red]

No, Red Hill would throw a cadenza.

* credenza

 

[Jono]

Hey guys, who won the AB de Villiers medal tonight?

 

[Cabinet96]

Steve Smith for being the most like AB and piling on runs in the middle order in all formats. Also invented a shot against SA, something the real AB has done and the fraud AB hasn't.

 

[Riggins]

Steve Smith for being the most like AB and piling on runs in the middle order in all formats. Also invented a shot against SA, something the real AB has done and the fraud AB hasn't.

I struggle to remember the list of who counts which AB as the fraud.

 

[cnerd123]

AB de Villiers Best AB Real AB Only AB.

I heard the stick cricket developers wanted to introduce some of AB's shots into the game in the latest update, but they beta tested it and players felt it was too unrealistic.

 

[Spikey]

he's the best

 

[Niall]

He is awesome obviously, but when it comes to limited overs cricket, he is missing a career defining match winning innings in a knock out game.

 

[Dan]

He is awesome obviously, but when it comes to limited overs cricket, he is missing a career defining match winning innings in a knock out game.

As are, well, an extreme number of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.

I mean, Bevan was a massive disappointment in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup finals. Not sure he can be an ATG after those poor efforts

 

[vic_orthdox]

As are, well, an extreme number of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.

I mean, Bevan was a massive disappointment in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup finals. Not sure he can be an ATG after those poor efforts

Does make it hard when SA only ever play one knock out game in each tournament.

 

[OverratedSanity]

As are, well, an extreme number of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.

I mean, Bevan was a massive disappointment in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup finals. Not sure he can be an ATG after those poor efforts

Nah screw you Bevan delivered vital performances in two semis. Scored 65 coming in at 68-4 in 1999 and 69 when Australia were 15-4 in 1996. Both against ATG attacks (Donald/Pollock/Klusener/Kallis and Walsh/Ambrose/Bishop).

 

[Jono]

If Faf never ran out AB at the 2011 World Cup maybe AB could have gotten SA into the semi. Or maybe Faf robbed us of witnessing an AB choke.

 

[OverratedSanity]

If Faf never ran out AB at the 2011 World Cup maybe AB could have gotten SA into the semi. Or maybe Faf robbed us of witnessing an AB choke.

Boo ****ing hoo, mate.

I hope AB produces something brilliant in the knockout games this time and I'm backing him to do it. But he absolutely needs to do that to be in the argument for the top ATG ODI batsmen. Don't pretend like if AB scores a hundred in the semifinal and helps SA chase 350, you won't post here. Producing the goods in the business end of a WC is absolutely a factor when judging great ODI batsmen and you know it.

 

[Jono]

Boo ****ing hoo, mate.

I hope AB produces something brilliant in the knockout games this time and I'm backing him to do it. But he absolutely needs to do that to be in the argument for the top ATG ODI batsmen. Don't pretend like if AB scores a hundred in the semifinal and helps SA chase 350, you won't post here. Producing the goods in the business end of a WC is absolutely a factor when judging great ODI batsmen and you know it.

Why are you aiming that post at me? I was making a joke about Faf's choke robbing AB of his chance to choke and joining a list of great SA chokers ffs

Completely agree that AB not having a gun WC knock-out match is something which separates him from the other greats.

 

[Jono]

On that point, I think modern ODI guns are disadvantaged in general in a way because most of their matches are meaningless.

Sachin and Bevan played ATG ODI knocks in random tri-series or bilateral series which meant a lot back in the 90s and early 2000s. If you won those it was huge. People remember Bevan's match winning 4 vs. WI, people remember Sachin's Sharjah desert storm.

Unless you're scoring an all-time fast ODI ton, no one gives a **** what you did in some bilateral series or useless tri-series nowadays. You basically have to perform in the WC or you can **** off.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Why are you aiming that post at me? I was making a joke about Faf robbing AB of his chance to choke ffs

Well you liked this post

As are, well, an extreme number of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.

I mean, Bevan was a massive disappointment in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup finals. Not sure he can be an ATG after those poor efforts

so I assumed you were of the opinion AB not having delivered a performance in a knockout game wasn't a factor in judging him

 

[Jono]

How have you missed Dan's joke that Bevan did nothing in WC finals of 99 and 2003 because he didn't get a chance to properly bat? He was being sarcastic.