Share

AB not happy with T20 record

Cape Town - When looking at AB de Villiers' international T20 record, it is startlingly clear that the numbers do not reflect the quality of the player.

He has represented his country 65 times and boasts an average of 23.49 - a number that is never going to be good enough for a player of De Villiers' stature. 

De Villiers' top score in T20Is is 79* and he has passed 50 just seven times - the last of which was Sunday's brutal knock of 71 off 29 at the top of the innings against England at the Wanderers. 

And that could very much be the reason for De Villiers' underachievement in T20Is - he has often come in too far down in the Proteas' batting line-up. 

That all seems to have changed as the Proteas prepare for next month's ICC World Twenty20 in India, and De Villiers' destruction of the England bowling line-up on Sunday makes it difficult to see him batting outside of the top two at that tournament. 

South Africa's superstar spoke after the match about his T20 record.

"I'm a little bit short in international T20 runs, my record doesn't look very good and I'm well aware of that," he said.

"I really want to improve on that and I think opening the batting has given me a great opportunity to do so over the next however long that's going to be ... hopefully for a long time.

"I want to improve that record and today is definitely a step in the right direction."

De Villiers hit six fours and six sixes in his knock on Sunday, but so high are the standards that he sets for himself that he still found fault with what on the surface seemed an innings of the highest order.

"I didn't start that well. I didn't feel comfortable at the wicket even though I got a few boundaries here and there," he said.

"I only really started feeling comfortable with Chris Jordan's over ... I started moving a bit better at the crease.

"I guess it was just one of those days where things did go my way ... a couple of balls bounced in the right areas and then obviously a couple of good shots in between so I'm pretty happy about that."

South Africa won the series 2-0 against England and will now start a three-match series against Australia at home that gets underway in Durban on March 4.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Glasgow Warriors 21
Sharks 10
loading... Live
Titans RSA 135/8
Lions 154/8
loading... Live
Ulster 16
Cardiff Rugby 17
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE