Abraham de Villiers

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AB de Villiers
South Africa (SA)
AB de Villiers
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling type Right-arm medium
Tests ODIs
Matches 18 26
Runs scored 1370 687
Batting average 42.81 26.42
100s/50s 3/8 -/3
Top score 178 92*
Balls bowled 174 -
Wickets 2 -
Bowling average 38.50 -
5 wickets in innings - -
10 wickets in match - N/A
Best bowling 2/49 -
Catches/stumpings 23/1 7/-

As of 27 April 2006
Source: Cricinfo.com

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (b. 17 February 1984) in Pretoria. More commonly known by his initials AB, he plays cricket for South Africa and the Northern Titans.

He is a right-handed batsman, who, in a very short space of time, has accumulated many runs and scored three centuries in Tests; including centuries against England, the West Indies and Zimbabwe. He also has 4 Test 90's.

He is used in a similar fashion to the legendary Jonty Rhodes in ODIs. That is, although he opens the batting in Tests, he bats lower down the order (middle-order, ie. 4 or 5) in ODIs. The recent ODI tour to India (late 2005) highlighted an "inability" to open the batting in this version of the game. He scored his second ODI 50 24 October 2006 batting 5th in a partnership with Mark Boucher, playing the Sri Lankan side. De Villiers made an impression to the selectors by producing his highest one-day score of 92 not out smashing 12 fours and one six from 98 balls against India in the 2006 winter series.

AB is a casualty of politics in South African sport. Sports in South Africa have an "enforced quota system" that ensures that there are a minimum of two "players of colour" in the cricket (rugby, etc) team. Selection based on talent and merit often have to take a backseat to skin colour, and AB has "suffered" this on a few occasions.

In his younger days he played for Carrickfergus Cricket Club as a professional.

Stats and info courtesy of Cricinfo.com.