AB De Villiers’ retirement not just loss for South African but for world cricket, says Barry Richards

The whole cricketing world went into a state of shock on Wednesday after de Villiers announced retirement from international cricket with immediate effect via a video message, just one year before the World Cup. Citing that he has "run out of gas", the 34-year-old batsman stated that 'the time is right' for him to hang up his boots, bringing a close to a stellar 14-year career.

De Villiers finished his career with a staggering 20,014 international runs (8765 in Tests, 9577 in ODIs and 1672 in T20Is) and signed off with a batting average of over 50 in both Tests (50.66) and ODIs (53.50). It was widely expected that he would play on for South Africa, at least in the limited-overs formats, until the 2019 World Cup in England, his last shot at winning a major trophy for his national side.

Talking about him, former South-African cricketer Barry Richards has stated that him leaving the sport wasn’t a loss only South Africa would feel but the whole cricketing world will bear. 

“AB wasn’t just a player who represented South Africa. He was a great ambassador of the game and someone who commanded respect from players across the world. AB calling it quits is a massive loss for cricket as his skills with the willow and sheer presence on the field gave so much joy to those who watched the game,” the South African legend told TOI.

While everyone has felt de Villiers’ retirement was untimely, the 72-year-old shared the same belief, although he was quick to point out that Mr.360’s decision to quit the game didn’t entirely come as a surprise to him. 

“He had taken a sabbatical (from Tests from the beginning of 2016 till the end of last year) before making a comeback. AB has a young family and he would want to spend time with them too,” Barry said.

When asked about de Villiers’ legacy, Barry singled out how the man has become a role model for the Proteas and taken the side to a different level altogether.

“AB’s biggest contribution to the game is that he is a role model for the many South African youngsters who wanted to take up the sport. AB has taken South African cricket to dizzying heights in world cricket. He has been a crucial member of the Proteas side for so many years now, and it will be difficult to fill his shoes,” said Richards, whose international career was cut short by South Africa’s ban from international cricket.

 “There are many who have gone on to become legends in the sport. AB, to me, will be right up there with the best not only for the fantastic numbers that he conjured but also for the way he played cricket. He respected the game and played it fair right through his career,” he concluded.