Pollock recalls ABD's rise in SA Cricket, says he was so...

NEW DELHI: Former South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock has commended AB de Villiers's exceptional batting talent and applauded his ability to handle pace and bounce as a defining characteristic.
This praise comes in the wake of de Villiers's recent induction into the

ICC Hall of Fame

, joining the ranks of cricketing legends like Alastair Cook and Neetu David.
Pollock recounted his first encounter with de Villiers during a practice match, where the young batsman's talent was immediately apparent.

"He was opening the batting for Northerns. As a player who has played for many years. You are always looking for cues as to who is going to be successful and why are they going to be successful. And I think in

South Africa

it's the ability to deal with pace and bounce. Just bowling to him on that day I realized this is going to be something special,"

Pollock

said in a video posted by ICC.

"He was so nicely balanced, his head was in a wonderful position and he took the bat so nicely back and straight. Even at the point of delivery, he kind of had a little bit of a rock which gave that extra time to be able to deal with anything that was thrown at him," he added.
De Villiers's impressive career statistics speak for themselves.
He amassed over 8,700

Test runs

at an average exceeding 50, including 22 centuries. His

ODI record

is equally remarkable, with over 9,500 runs at an average of 53.50 and 25 centuries.
Even in the fast-paced T20 format, he maintained an average exceeding 26, accumulating over 1,600 runs.
"During the

Pink Day 100

, where he kind of said to the coach that 'I do not think I should go next', and they pushed him out the door and he went on to break a world record and he almost got to that 150 at an unbelievable time on that day. He kind of put everything out there. He displayed the full repertoire, what he was capable of and just put that rest in the bowling line up under the immense pressure," noted Pollock.