India great and presently mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad V.V.S. Laxman felt that the retirement of A.B. de Villiers from international cricket can be a huge loss to South Africa, especially with the World Cup scheduled next year.
“But, honestly, I was not surprised by his decision given the back injury he suffered last season. Maybe, at some stage, he might have given a serious thought to the workload and demands of international cricket. And, we have to respect his decision. Ultimately, as a cricketer, he should know what is the best decision to take in this regard,” Laxman told The Hindu on Wednesday.
“It was a privilege watching him play. He seemed to have the option of [choosing from] three strokes for each ball. He was an extraordinarily skilful cricketer who changed the course of the match single-handedly in all three formats of the game,” Laxman said.
“I have seen the best of the bowlers suffer as he could even hit good-length balls to the fence effortlessly with a huge range of strokes and many didn’t know where to bowl to him,” he said.
“The best part is that he lived up to the expectations. I remember rave reviews when de Villiers arrived on international cricket. It is amazing that he sustained his level of excellence for so long at the highest level because he was mentally very strong,” Laxman said.
“I hope he will continue to play for his franchisee in the IPL and delight the fans,” said Laxman.
