AB de Villiers recently shared his picks for the five best Test cricketers he has played with and against during an appearance on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, which also featured Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
When Moeen Ali, the former England all-rounder, asked him to name his top five, the legendary South African and ex-captain left out Virat Kohli from the list. Instead, he selected one player each from South Africa, England, Pakistan, Australia, and India.
AB de Villiers, who retired from international cricket in 2018 after representing South Africa in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is, praised Jacques Kallis as the greatest all-rounder of all time and described former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif as the most challenging bowler he ever faced.
“Kallis definitely. Flintoff, of course. I just remember… Mohammad Asif. Wow. Probably the best seamer I’ve ever faced in my life. Warnie (Shane Warne)—I loved playing against him. I don’t think Warnie was the best bowler I faced, but just the whole package. The way he looked at me, the way he flicked his hair, the way the ball came out—it was just like art. Poetry in a way,” AB de Villiers recalled.
“Sorry, Virat,” AB de Villiers Responds After Leaving Out His Best Friend from Top Five Cricketers List
When the conversation shifted to legendary batters, AB de Villiers chose none other than the “Master Blaster” Sachin Tendulkar. Widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs in both Tests and ODIs, along with an astonishing 100 international centuries. Across 200 Tests between 1989 and 2013, he amassed 15,921 runs, scoring 51 centuries and 68 fifties at an impressive average of 53.78, with a highest score of 248*.
AB de Villiers praised Tendulkar not only for his batting but also for the atmosphere he created every time he walked out to the crease.
“Just Sachin with the crowd, I would say,” AB de Villiers noted. “The way he was acknowledged when he came to bat was magical—a standstill moment. And the way he batted was simply beautiful.”
At that point, Adil Rashid reminded AB de Villiers that he had forgotten Virat Kohli. The former South African captain smiled and admitted, “Sorry, Virat. That’s why these questions are so tough to answer.”
