Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST
  • Home
  • Trending
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Feature
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • More..
    • Odisha Special
    • Editorial
    • Opinion
    • Careers
    • Sci-Tech
    • Timeout
    • Horoscope
    • Today’s Pic
  • Video
  • Epaper
  • News in Odia
  • Home
  • Trending
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Feature
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • More..
    • Odisha Special
    • Editorial
    • Opinion
    • Careers
    • Sci-Tech
    • Timeout
    • Horoscope
    • Today’s Pic
  • Video
  • Epaper
  • News in Odia
No Result
View All Result
OrissaPOST - Odisha Latest news, English Daily -
No Result
View All Result

A CRICKETER AND A GENTLEMAN

Updated: November 13th, 2015, 23:41 IST
in Uncategorized
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on Linkedin

Sakyasen Mittra

It is rare in India to see a milestone of an opposition cricketer being celebrated the way it is being done in Abraham Benjamin de Villiers’ case. But then such is the aura of the man who has entertained spectators all over the world with his batting deeds. Abraham and Benjamin are two names with historical importance. Well De Villiers will certainly occupy a permanent place whenever the history of the modern-day game will be written.
It has been approximately a couple of years since those three batting legends – Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting decided to call it a day. And since then the batting world has been ABD’s – he has made it his own. Bowlers, who breathed a sigh of relief after the retirement of the three maestros, have once more started having sleepless nights the moment a South Africa series crops up.
ABD, as some of his South African teammates call him has already entered the ‘legendary’ segment because of his proficiency in all formats of the game and his successes both at home and away. Growing up on the hard and bouncy wickets of South Africa – De Villiers has wonderfully adjusted to the low, slow turners of the sub-
continent. His positive and aggressive approach to the game has thrilled spectators worldwide, even if they are supporters of the opposition – such has been the effect of the man.
De Villiers will be the 63rd cricketer to have played 100 Tests, the sixth South African to do so after Kallis (166), Mark Boucher (147), Graeme Smith (117), Shaun Pollock (108) and Gary Kirtsen (101). His Test average of 51.92 is only second to Kallis, which shows how good a batsman he has been. Any batsman possessing an average of 40-plus is considered a very good Test man. So the 50-plus average will certainly propel, the South African to that elite bracket of ‘greatness’.
That eminent batsman-turned-commentator Geoffrey Boycott once stated that ‘humbleness’ is the first sign of being great. Even though, some of the greatest batters of the world have not been all that humble… De Villiers is an exception to the rule. He is always ready to share his knowledge of the game and always has a smile ready for a journalist with whom he is acquainted. Go to him for an interview, and he will be the first to seek knowledge about ‘how your family is’. It is this quality that makes him so special and prevents the harshest of critics from writing a word or two against him.
In modern-day sportsmanship it is rare for a player of any discipline to earn respect and affection from the opposition captain. But De Villiers does just that and that is where he falls into that category of Tendulkar, Kallis or Ponting. “He is one of the best batsman in the world and a very good human being,” Indian Test captain, Virat Kohli stated Friday. Even the most aggressive and brash Australians have always had good words for De Villiers – may be because they know if they irk the man too much, his blade will do the talking.
A cricketer and a gentleman – is a rare breed in the modern cricket parlance. Sunil Gavaskar once coined that famous statement – ‘FORM is temporary, CLASS is permanent’. Even if De Villiers fails to get going in his 100th Test – there cannot be any doubt that he is and will always be a batsman with ‘CLASS’ written all over him. They rarely do make such batters these days. Cricket may be an institution by itself, but then De Villiers is definitely the modern-day ‘Kohinoor’ of the game.

Also Read

Mohan Charan Majhi

Odisha govt to set up museum, library, research centre in Puri to promote Jagannath culture: CM

1 hour ago

Odisha: Today’s pics

2 hours ago
ShareTweetSendShare
Suggest A Correction

Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox.

 

OrissaPOST epaper Sunday POST OrissaPOST epaper

Click Here: Plastic Free Odisha

#MyPaperBagChallenge

Ankita Balabantray

December 12, 2019
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Dibya Ranjan Das

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Archana Parida

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Jyotshna Mayee Pattnaik

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Ramakanta Sahoo

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Mandakini Dakua

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Rajashree Manasa Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Saishree Satyarupa

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Anup Mahapatra

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Akshaya Kumar Dash

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Aishwarya Ranjan Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Archit Mohapatra

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Smitarani Sahoo

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Subhajyoti Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Amritansh Mishra

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Jhili Jena

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Kamana Singh

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Subhajyoti Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Nishikant Rout

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Sibarama Khotei

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Priyasha Pradhan

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Akriti Negi

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Keshab Chandra Rout

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Rajashree Pravati Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Mrutyunjaya Behera

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Manas Samanta

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Geetanjali Patro

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Swarit Praharaj

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Faiza Firdous

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Anshuman Sahoo

December 12, 2019

Archives

Editorial

Hungary Lessons

Hungary
July 2, 2025

Revolting against oppression and seeking freedom is ingrained in human nature, something that a repressive regime finds out sooner or...

Read more

New Democratic Face

Zohran Mamdani
July 1, 2025

US President Donald Trump, who had comfortably defeated his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election and exuded...

Read more

Proof To Vote

Vote
June 30, 2025

Months ahead of the Assembly polls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 28 June launched a ‘special...

Read more

Genesis of Jana Sangh

AAKAR PATEL
June 29, 2025

We marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency a few days ago. Another anniversary, this time the 75th, went relatively...

Read more
  • Home
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
Developed By Ratna Technology

© 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST

  • News in Odia
  • Orissa POST Epaper
  • Video
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Metro
  • State
  • Odisha Special
  • National
  • International
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Editorial
  • Entertainment
  • Horoscope
  • Careers
  • Feature
  • Today’s Pic
  • Opinion
  • Sci-Tech
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs

© 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST

    • News in Odia
    • Orissa POST Epaper
    • Video
    • Home
    • Trending
    • Metro
    • State
    • Odisha Special
    • National
    • International
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Editorial
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscope
    • Careers
    • Feature
    • Today’s Pic
    • Opinion
    • Sci-Tech
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs

    © 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST