AB de Villiers Rates Pakistani Pacer Above Bumrah

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has declared that Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was "miles faster" than India's Jasprit Bumrah, labeling the Pakistani pace great the swiftest of the trio when considering raw speed. De Villiers shared these insights on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, responding to host Prakhar Gupta's question about who posed the greatest challenge among Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, and Shoaib Akhtar.

Akhtar's superior pace emerged as the decisive factor for de Villiers, who stated, "It’s all different times of my career. Shoaib Akhtar came first. He was incredibly tough, miles faster than Bumrah, not even close. So from a pure pace point of view, it’s definitely Akhtar." He further explained that facing Malinga, whom he encountered later in his career when he was more seasoned and better equipped to handle his technique, was less daunting due to the distinct skill set Malinga possessed.

In contrast, Bumrah, whom de Villiers faced towards the latter stages of his own career, appeared less agile but was still the most consistent of the three, according to de Villiers. He noted, "If I had to say most consistent, definitely Jasprit. I think he’s just someone who didn’t make a lot of mistakes." De Villiers also acknowledged Malinga's consistency and commendable temperament as a fast bowler.

This account of de Villiers' remarks about Pakistani cricketers follows his earlier selection of a Pakistani player for his all-time XI. Recently, Shoaib Akhtar himself made headlines after the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly extended an offer for him to serve as the chief selector.