Maxwell praises 'freak' de Villiers

Even AB de Villiers’ most blistering contemporaries have been moved to comment on the brilliance of the South African’s innings for Bangalore against Hyderabad in the IPL last night.

“A few of us boys sit around and talk cricket, watch the matches, talk about how to play different players and tactics against them, and we watched AB last night,” Australia’s Glenn Maxwell told cricket.com.au.

“That was something else, the guy is a freak.”

Maxwell would know. The Kings XI Punjab allrounder is the leading run-scorer in this year’s IPL with 345 runs to his name, but even the big-hitting Australian was stunned by the gravity of de Villiers’ onslaught, with the right-hander blazing eight sixes in his match-winning 89 not out from just 41 balls.

The Victorian was particularly impressed with de Villiers’ final six from his compatriot Dale Steyn – a beautifully-timed ramp shot that ended up in the second tier of a grandstand.

““That is one of the best shots I have ever seen,” Maxwell added.

“I was watching it thinking it was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen.

“It was just outstanding the way he hit the ball to where the fieldsmen weren’t, hit the ball over the fence whenever he needed to.

“He plays the big shots so well and times his innings perfectly.

“Watching a guy like that is really inspiring and someone I’ve always watched and looked up to. He’s an absolute class act and someone that I try to base my game on.”