Jos Buttler says AB de Villiers is his role model

England’s swashbuckling batsman Jos Buttler on Saturday said he has modelled his game on South Africa’s master batsman AB de Villiers. Buttler smashed England’s fastest ever ODI century scoring 116* off just 46 balls in the fourth ODI against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday to ensure his team won the match and the ODI series. De Villiers holds the record for the fastest ODI hundred which he scored off just 31 balls against the West Indies at Johannesburg in January this year.

Buttler said the invention of Twenty20 and de Villiers’ approach are reasons for his own big-hitting style. “As everyone always says, the invention of Twenty20, and someone like de Villiers is someone who’s changed the game completely. Everyone else is wanting to follow his lead,” opined Buttler.

The wicket-keeper batsman’s devastating knock included 8 sixes and 10 boundaries and helped his team to an imposing total of 355 for five. In the end, Pakistan handed England an 84-run victory and the series 3-1. Butler said, “To come back to this ground, having been dropped after the Test match here and have a bit better day is obviously immensely satisfying.”

England skipper Eoin Morgan said Buttler’s knock left the dressing room astonished.

“I think we were lost for words in the changing room. So many were used to describe it — but one that wasn’t was a surprise. We’re very privileged to work, train day in day out with Jos. The ability he shows there all came together for him. It was just absolutely incredible — certainly the best one-day knock I’ve ever seen in an England shirt,” said Morgan.