‘AB de Villiers is hardest batter I’ve ever bowled to’

BRISBANE: Australia spinner Nathan Lyon believes AB De Villiers, who is now retired from international cricket, is still one of the best players in the world.

The Proteas ace called time on his 13-year South Africa career in May 2018 having revolutionised white-ball batting whilst still maintaining exceptional standards in the Test arena. He is still a top performer in global franchise leagues, exemplified by his 441 runs at an average of 49 in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), and Lyon has no doubts that the South African is still one of the most formidable players in world cricket – and wouldn’t mind another crack at bowling at him.

“It’s an interesting one when you’re up against that challenge, but I’ve always said I want to challenge myself against the best players in the world,” Lyon told The BackPage Live. “AB is still one of those guys.”

Many have called for de Villiers to return to national duty, but last week the swashbuckling batsman told SportStar that he looks back at his decision to retire from international cricket with “100 percent satisfaction”.

When discussing just how good de Villiers was, Lyon could not have been more complimentary. “He is probably the hardest batter I’ve ever bowled to, and I’ve played against AB quite a few times now on different tours,” he said. “He’s probably the one guy who I’ve thought: ‘He can probably hit me anywhere he wants at any time.’”

De Villiers was particularly known for his 360-degree hitting, seemingly capable of dispatching the ball into the stands wherever he liked, regardless of the delivery. Lyon, who is in Australia’s squad for ICC Cricket World Cup, described the treatment that speed merchant and compatriot Mitchell Johnson faced when he was put up against de Villiers.

“There have been a couple of tours when Mitchell Johnson’s been bowling like the wind after a pretty amazing Ashes series here at home, and AB was pulling Mitch in front of square-leg and just back-footing drives and showing all the shots,” he said.