QUICK FACTS
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers
ABD, Mr. 360
17 February 1984
38 Years
Bela-Bela, South Africa
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
South Africa
Abraham B de Villiers
Millie De Villiers
married
Danielle de Villiers (m. 2013-present)
South Africa
A bungalow in Durban, South Africa
Jan de Villiers (Elder), Wessels de Villiers (Elder)
N/A
5 feet 10 inches
77 kg (169 lbs)
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Afrikaans Boys’ High School), Pretoria
High School graduate
Cricketer (Batsman and Wicket-keeper)
Singing, Travelling, Swimming, Golfing
Christianity
#17
N/A
N/A
N/A
@abdevilliers17
@ABdeVilliers17
AB de Villiers
South African
Aquarius
Playing cricket and Hitting shots 360 degrees around the cricket ground.
$25 million
WHO IS AB DE VILLIERS
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers played cricket for South Africa. On February 17, 1984, he was born. AB de Villiers won three ICC One-Day International Player of the Year accolades throughout his 15-year international career. Wisden rated him one of the top five cricketers of the last ten years at the end of 2019. Many consider him to be one of the greatest cricketers in history.
Although AB de Villiers began his international career as a wicketkeeper-batsman, he has primarily played as a batsman. He generally batted in the middle of the order, moving throughout the batting order. De Villiers is well known for using a wide range of uncommon strokes, especially behind the wicketkeeper. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time as well as one of the most inventive and destructive of the modern era. After making his debut in a Test match against England in 2004, he participated in his maiden One Day International (ODI) in early 2005. He debuted in the Twenty20 International in 2006.
He has over 8,000 runs in both Test and ODI cricket and is one of the very few batters to have a batting average of over fifty in both formats of the game. He plays limited-overs cricket as an aggressive player. He established the record for the quickest ODI century in just 31 balls.
De Villiers led South Africa in all three formats, albeit he gave up the test leadership due to a string of ailments. He stopped leading the national limited-overs matches in 2017 and declared his retirement from all international cricket in May 2018. De Villiers did, however, indicate interest in returning to international competition and competing in the 2020 T20 World Cup in January 2020, however, it was eventually made clear that he would not. On November 19, 2021, De Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
You’ve got to be able to work hard. There must be inner drive that you want to be the best in the world at what you do.
– AB De Villiers
CHILDHOOD AND EARLY LIFE
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers was born on February 17, 1984, in Warmbad, Limpopo Province, South Africa. His father is Abraham B. de Villiers, and his mother is Millie de Villiers. He is the youngest of three brothers.
Despite being a doctor, his father was a sports enthusiast who encouraged his sons to participate in them. De Villiers received his education at the Afrikaans Boys’ High School in Pretoria, South Africa. He used to excel at cricket, as well as golf, rugby, swimming, and tennis.
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
AB de Villiers has received multiple “Player of the Series” and “Man of the Match” Awards throughout his career.
His career accomplishments include the quickest half-century and century in an ODI, the fastest 150 in an ODI, the most sixes in an ODI, and the fastest player to 9000 runs in an ODI.
He is the first South African to hit two hundred in a single World Cup and the first to surpass 100 against India.
PERSONAL LIFE AND LEGACY
In 2013, AB de Villiers wed Danielle Swart. Abraham, the couple’s lone child, was born in 2015.
As a devoted Christian, he has said that his belief in Jesus is the foundation of both his life and his career. He has stated that his favorite book is the Bible.
He is well renowned for his musical prowess and for the success of his CD “Maak Jou Drome Waar,” which made it to the national music charts.
He enjoys playing football and is a devoted Manchester United supporter.
QUOTES
No matter how hot the fire burns, a Protea always survives.
It was probably the most humbling experience of my life walking out there in the final ODI against India at Wankhede Stadium (in 2015). I walked out there to bat and the entire crowd was cheering ‘AB! AB!’ and chanting so loud that I could not even hear myself talk. It was happening in the whole series, but then it hit me really hard that I was very far away from home and here the people were supporting me like I was their own, yet I was playing against their own.
I’ve made peace with the fact that the World Cup will not define me. Yes, it would be nice to add that to what’s been a very enjoyable career, but I know it won’t define me as a person or cricketer.
You’ve got to be able to work hard. There must be inner drive that you want to be the best in the world at what you do.
After 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired.
I’m not a nice guy on the field, and I’ve never really respected a guy who’s been a ‘nice guy’ on the field. I want opposition to be hard, to play to win the game for their team.
There’s a lot of reasons I had to move on. Family’s definitely a big part of it. And the longevity of my career – I played for 15 years, and I was just tired of the whole international scene. It’s quite busy. Very stressful.
TRIVIA
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- One Day International (ODI) 50, 100, and 150; the fastest Test century by a South African; and the fastest Twenty20 International (T20I) 50 by a South African are just a few of the batting records held by De Villiers.
- He received three ICC ODI Player of the Year honors (2010, 2014, 2015).
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- He played in his maiden ODI in early 2005 after making his debut in a Test match against England in 2004. He made his Twenty20 International debut in 2006.
- After five years of dating, De Villiers got down on one knee and asked Danielle Swart to marry him at the Taj Mahal in 2012. Married in Bela-Bela, South Africa in March 2013, the pair. Abraham Benjamin (born in 2015) and John Richard are their two sons (born in 2017).
- Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers competed for the country’s squad.
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- In ODI cricket, he is the only batsman to have achieved the trifecta of 5000+ runs, a 50+ average, and a 100+ strike rate.
- In the 2004 Basil D’Oliveira Trophy Test match against England, De Villiers made his test debut for South Africa (2004).
- He has a good friendship bond with Indian cricketer Virat Kohli.
CONTROVERSIES
After South Africa’s defeat by New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup semifinal, an alleged quota dispute erupted in April 2015, when AB was the ODI captain of South Africa. Mike Horn, the high-performance coach for South Africa, acknowledged that in order to meet the quota goals, Kyle Abbott was forced to be benched at the World Cup in favor of Vernon Philander.
NET WORTH
The AB Devilliers is worth $25 million or ₹2,052,351,325.00 (INR). The name says it all; none other than AB De Villiers is the most well-known cricketer to have reached such a high point in his career. He has consistently proved that if you have a dream and the determination to pursue it, nothing can stop you from becoming a big figure in the world. He is currently regarded as one of the world’s best athletes. The most popular and well-paid athlete works tirelessly to win every championship.