NEW DELHI: South Africa legendary batter, AB De Villiers lauded Australian batter David Warner following his Test retirement, saying that he is a huge fighter.
De Villiers and Warner shared the dressing room playing for Delhi Daredevils early in their Indian Premier League (IPL) career from 2009-10. The South African icon talked about the confidence he had in Warner aboutnbecoming a superstar cricketer and how he always recovered from tough situations.
“I had played with David Warner at the Delhi Daredevils. He was a fantastic player right from the word go and he has put up his hand for one of the best all-round cricketers of all time. Went through a lot of controversies as well but always found a way to come back. He is a huge fighter,” De Villiers was said on his YouTube channel.
The former right-hand batter appreciated the left hand batter’s willingness to remain available for the 2025 Champions Trophy despite announcing his retirement from ODIs. Warner asserted that he would be there for Australia if they needed him, which is exactly what De Villiers has previously stated.
De Villiers took a potshot at the South African setup at the time for not selecting him despite confirming his availability for both the T20 World Cup and the 2019 ODI World Cup.
“I am incredibly grateful to have played all formats for my country. Then I did exactly what David Warner did. I had a family back home so I didn’t want to tour anymore. I wanted to play in the T20 World Cup, which was frowned upon but now everybody is doing it. I wish I played another World Cup for South Africa. I wish I could say just like Warner that if you need me, I am available,” the 39-year-old opined. The 37-year-old also announced his retirement from One-Day International cricket before the start of his final Test match. This implies that, barring a comeback, the southpaw’s victory in the ODI World Cup will be his final competition in the 50-over format. (ANI)
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