South African batting legend AB de Villiers expressed his admiration for Australian veteran cricketer David Warner following his retirement from Test Cricket. The left-handed opener has ended his Test career as Australia’s most successful opener in red-ball cricket.
The 37-year-old played his farewell day in whites in the third test against Pakistan, scoring a match-winning half-century to help the Baggy Greens win the series 3-0. The southpaw made his Test debut in 2011 and has since appeared in 112 games for Australia, amassing 8786 runs with 26 hundred and 37 half-centuries.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers shared the memories of him sharing the dressing room with David Warner during his days with Delhi Daredevils early in the IPL. The South African veteran described how he was certain Warner would become one of the all-time greats and how he recovered from tough times throughout his career.
“I had played with David Warner at the Delhi Daredevils. He was a fantastic player right from the word go and he has put up his hand for one of the best all-round cricketers of all time. Went through a lot of controversies as well but always found a way to come back. He is a huge fighter,” AB de Villiers said.
The 37-year-old has been a pillar of the Baggy Greens over the years, putting in many spectacular performances for the team. At Sydney Cricket Ground, the seasoned Australian opener received an incredible reception, with his home crowd giving him a memorable send-off from the game.
SA20 Is The Second-best Paid League In The World After The IPL – AB de Villiers
Ab de Villiers feels that the SA20 league is second only to the Indian Premier League in terms of financial attractiveness to world-class players around the globe, and expressed his dissatisfaction with Cricket South Africa sending a second-string Test squad that will travel to New Zealand for the two-match test series.
“It (SA20) is the second-best paid league in the world after the IPL. I never saw that coming but it is just the influence of some of the owners from India. That’s what Graeme Smith succeeded in. He is making sure this tournament is becoming a magnet for some of the best players in the world.”
“It has sent shockwaves around the cricketing world and has made it clear that Test cricket is under pressure, for that matter even ODI cricket, and the whole system is turning around T20 cricket.
“The players, the board, and coaches will turn towards where there is more money. You cannot blame them for thinking about their future with their family. That’s ultimately what it comes down to,” AB de Villiers added.
The first edition of the SA20 event has received massive attention, given the quality of games it offered in the first season. Many key players from the Test team would be barred from the tour to New Zealand in order to make room for them in the T20 league.