AB de Villiers is a professional former cricketer who played cricket internationally for his native country, South Africa. He started playing international cricket in 2004. Apart from playing cricket, he also sings and has released an album in collaboration with singer Ampie du Preez. ABD is a big fan of football team Manchester United. He also holds the record of scoring the “Fastest T20I fifty by a South African” in 21 balls and “Joint slowest T20I fifty by a South African” in 49 balls.
Born Name
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers
Nick Name
AB, Mr. 360
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Warmbad, Pretoria, South Africa
Residence
Pretoria, South Africa
Nationality
Education
AB de Villiers went to the prestigious Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, where he studied alongside his future South African cricket teammate .
Occupation
Former Professional cricketer
Family
- Father – Abraham B de Villiers (Doctor and former rugby union player)
- Mother – Millie de Villiers
- Siblings – Jan de Villiers (Brother), Wessels de Villiers (Brother)
Manager
AB de Villiers’s personal team handles his representation and management work.
Bowling Style
Right arm medium
Batting Style
Right-handed
Role
Batsman, Wicket-keeper/batsman
Shirt Number
17
Genre
Power Ballads, pop, folk
Instruments
Vocals, guitars
Labels
Sony Music Africa
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 11 in or 180 cm
Weight
73 kg or 161 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
AB de Villiers has dated
- Danielle de Villiers – AB first met his future wife Danielle Smart at the age of 23. His mother had taken him out for a lunch at a game lodge at the foot of the Waterberg Mountains. After the lunch, he was introduced to the owner of establishment John Smart, who in turn introduced them to his wife and daughter. De Villiers was smitten by her on the first encounter itself. On the drive back home, he asked his mother when he can get Danielle’s number and then texted her to invite to a gathering with his friends. However, thereafter, they didn’t make any progress on the romantic front as he got busy with his cricket career and she devoted herself to the studies. Then, he got to meet her at his brother Wessel’s wedding and he was blown over by her voice as she sang his favorite song. Soon after, she moved to Cape Town and they started seeing more frequently. In the early months of 2012, he decided that he wanted to marry Danielle. So, before he left for IPL, he asked her parents their permission to marry her and they helped him pick a ring for Danielle. He surprised her with a proposal on a trip to Taj Mahal, which he felt was an ideal location for his romantic proposal. They got married in 2013 at the very spot, they had first met at. In 2015, she gave birth to their son, Abraham.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He has Afrikaans ancestry.
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Blue with a hint of green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Athletic
- Blue-Green eyes
Brand Endorsements
AB de Villiers has a lucrative bat sponsorship deal with Indian tire manufacturer, MRF.
He has also appeared in a TV advert for Lay’s Korma Curry.
Plus, he has used his status as one of the most popular South African sportsmen to earn generous fees for promotion through his social media accounts.
Religion
He is a devout Christian.
Best Known For
- Being one of the most successful and accomplished batsmen of his generation. He has managed to dominate all formats of cricket with his attacking and innovative brand of batting.
- His stunning fielding due to which he is often compared with another South African legend Jonty Rhodes.
First Cricket Match
AB made his test debut in December 2004 in a match against England at Port Elizabeth. His team lost the match by 7 wickets.
In February 2005, he made his ODI debut against England at Bloemfontein. The match ended in a rare tie.
In February 2006, AB played his first international T20 match against Australia at Johannesburg in a winning cause.
First Album
In August 2010, he released his debut studio album, Maak Jou Drome Waar, in collaboration with singer-songwriter Ampie du Preez. Out of 14 tracks, five songs were in English while the others were in his native Afrikaans.
Personal Trainer
AB has upped the quality of his workout regime in a bid to prolong his cricket career well into the wrong side of the 30s. To improve his endurance and stamina, he relies on runs on the treadmill. To improve his agility and minimize chances of an injury, he performs a series of floor exercises such as planks, leg pulls, and other core exercises.
Regarding diet, he tries to eat as much protein as possible. His diet relies heavily on cereals, milk, chicken, eggs, and fish (usually salmon or tuna). He also drinks protein shakes to further fuel his body. However, he gives himself to indulge a bit on his cheat days. He certainly loves going with his friends on small getaways to eat junk food such as burgers and pizzas.
AB de Villiers Favorite Things
- Guilty Pleasures – Pasta, Sea Food, and a glass of Red Wine
- Soccer Team – Manchester United
Source –
AB de Villiers Facts
- Apart from cricket, while growing up, he was pretty good at tennis and golf.
- After having made up his mind to pursue cricket over other sports, he started his cricketing journey during 2003/04 season with Titans franchise team.
- In 2004, he also played for Carrickfergus Cricket Club in Northern Ireland as an overseas player.
- His burgeoning reputation as a star batsman was recognized with a nomination for ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2009.
- In April 2008, he became the first South African player to score a double century in test matches against India. He scored 217 not out in his team’s only innings as they romped to a victory by an innings and 90 runs in Ahmedabad, India.
- In March 2009, he became the second batsman to hit 4 sixes in an over as he tore into Andrew McDonald to hit 4 consecutive sixes in his side’s innings and 20 runs victory over the touring Australian team.
- In the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he achieved the distinction of being the first South African player to score two ODI centuries in a single World Cup tournament. He scored centuries in consecutive matches against West Indies and the Netherlands.
- In January 2015, AB became the first player to hit an ODI century in 31 balls as he clobbered West Indies bowling attack for 149 runs off 44 balls. In the same match, he also became the first player to hit 50 in 16 balls.
- At the 2015 World Cup, he became the first batsman to score 150 runs off 64 balls as he hit West Indies for 162 runs off 66 balls in an innings that featured 17 boundaries and 8 sixes.
- He has his official app which can be found at ab17.fanhero.com.
- Follow him on , , and .
Featured Image by YellowMonkey/Blnguyen / / CC BY-SA 4.0
Facts of AB de Villiers
- full nameAB de Villiers
- Date of Birth February 17, 1984
- Age 40 years 8 months
- Horoscope Aquarius
- Lucky Number 5
- Lucky Stone Amethyst
- Lucky Color Turquoise
- Best Match for Marriage Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius
- weight73 kg
- height5 ft 11 in