AB de Villiers picks 3 Greatest Batsmen and 3 Greatest Bowlers, only 1 Indian named

The never-ending debate over the greatest cricketers of all time has been reignited by none other than South African legend AB de Villiers on the sidelines of the ongoing World Championship of Legends Cricket 2025 (WCL 2025) in England.

In a viral video clip, AB de Villiers, who is known as "Mr. 360," revealed his top three batters and bowlers in cricket history across all formats. The former South African captain surprised many with his unique mix of legends from both the past and present.

AB de Villiers picks all-time batters across the formats

On being asked to pick three all-time greatest batters across the formats, De Villiers briefly considered the legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara, but he went with an Australian and a South African great, along with India’s modern-era legend based on consistency, versatility, longevity, and dominance in all three formats of the game.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Read Also: Rohit Sharma's ODI career elongated after Shubman Gill's dampener in England

De Villiers named one of South Africa’s all-time greatest cricketers, Jacques Kallis; legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting; and Virat Kohli as his top 3 batters of all time across the formats. Each of them is known for dominating and match-winning brilliance across the formats.

AB de Villiers names his all-time bowlers across the formats

But it was the Proteas legend’s bowling picks that truly grabbed attention. Instead of going the traditional route, AB de Villiers went straight for pace and accuracy, as he surprisingly picked Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif, along with pace legends from South Africa—Dale Steyn and Glenn McGrath. ABD also made it clear that his list was purely about fast bowlers.

AB de Villiers told the anchor Shefali Bagga in a video shared by Star Sports, X: “It's the most difficult question of all time, all formats. Yes, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Virat Kohli. And the top three bowlers: Mohammad Asif, Dale Steyn, and Glenn McGrath. That's just bowlers, not spinners.”

.@ABdeVilliers17 reveals the batters and bowlers who stood out to him, the names that left a lasting impression. 👏#WCL2025 👉 18th July to 2nd August, Every Day Live on Star Sports Network pic.twitter.com/2jUrgNDXvO

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025

Stats of AB de Villiers’ GOAT picks

Meanwhile, legendary Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis played 166 Tests, scoring 13,289 runs at an average of 55.37, with 45 centuries to his name. In 328 ODIs, Kallis made 11,579 runs, and he also has 666 runs from 25 T20Is for the South African side. He also has 577 international wickets to his name.

Speaking about one of Australia’s greatest captains, Ponting racked up 13,378 runs in 168 Tests, 13,704 in 375 ODIs, and 401 runs in 17 T20Is. He also won three ODI World Cups with Australia.

Read Also: "Shubman Gill is a Red Flag"- Toxic behaviour comes to surface

On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who is still active in ODI cricket, has 14,181 runs in 302 matches, averaging a remarkable 57.88, alongside 51 centuries. His T20I record is also impressive, with 4,188 runs at a 48.69 average. Kohli also has 9230 runs in 123 Test matches to his name.

Speaking about bowlers, Glenn McGrath was a legend for Australia with his deadly accuracy, taking 563 wickets in 124 Tests and 381 in 250 ODIs. He even grabbed 5 wickets in just 2 T20Is. Dale Steyn brought fiery pace for South Africa, picking up 439 Test wickets in 93 matches.

The Proteas pace also claimed 196 in ODIs and 64 in T20Is. Mohammad Asif took 106 wickets in just 23 tests using swing and seam to great effect. The Pakistani pacer also has 46 wickets in 38 ODIs and 13 wickets in 11 T20I matches to his name.