AB de Villiers makes a clean sweep at cricket awards

Sport, arts and culture

Batting sensation AB de Villiers is one of the best batsmen in the world - a fact that did not go unnoticed at the recent Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards

De Villiers' record-breaking performance in the 2014 cricketing year saw him scoop most of the awards on offer.

He won five awards and in the process matched Makhaya Ntini’s performance of 2005 and 2006 when he was named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year for the second successive year.

 Others who won the coveted award twice include Jacques Kallis (2004 and 2011) and Hashim Amla (2010 and 2013). Shaun Pollock (2007), Dale Steyn (2008), Graeme Smith (2009), and Vernon Philander (2012) were also previously named South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year

De Villiers also emulated Amla who won five awards in 2010.

De Villiers was also named Castle Lager ODI Cricketer of the Year while his peers and his fans honoured him by voting for him as SA Players’ Player of the Year and SA Fans’ Player of the Year respectively.

He also received the KFC So Good Award for scoring the fastest century in the history of ODI Cricket against the West Indies in December 2014.

CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said he believes De Villiers is among the best batsmen in the world currently.

“This has been another great year with truly wonderful achievements from our top players.

“AB is just so special and surely he must be the best all-round cricketer in the world. His performances are sheer class and his No. 2 ranking in Test match cricket and No. 1 in ODI cricket only tells a part of his amazing skills.”

Currently, De Villiers holds the records for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in the world. “AB de Villiers has modestly taken limited overs batting to a new level and he has done it with style and panache that is simply beyond the reach of most. He is a true batting genius,” added Lorgat.

The other major awards went to Amla as Test Cricketer of the Year and Morne van Wyk as Ticketpro T20 Cricketer of the Year. Steyn won the RAM Delivery of the Year and Rilee Rossouw was named SA Newcomer of the Year while Shabnim Ismail was named Momentum Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

The Khaya Majola Lifetime Achievement Award went to Shepherd Ngcaba for his services to the game over nearly half a century. He has been the driving force behind the success of the Good Hope Cricket Club in King Williams Town and has played a major role in the development of facilities in the surrounding rural areas.

He has also served on the executive of the Border Cricket Board.