INTERVIEW | Azharuddin is the batter I respected most, says Fanie de Villiers

Former South African quick Fanie de Villiers shares his respect for Mohammed Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar, and India's current pacers.

Fanie de Villiers has bowled to some of the world’s greatest batters of all time – including Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. Who earned the most respect from him?

“Mohammed Azharuddin,” de Villers told The Hindu in an interview on an overcast morning at the SuperSport Park, during the second day of the first Test between South Africa and India.

“He was a wristy, stylish batter, but there were others too; I respected him because he could frustrate a bowler.”

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The former South African quick elaborated: “The most respect that you get for a player is the one that doesn’t give you a chance to make plans against him. With that wristy flick, he could take a single and go to the other end; he was the best at it. With him, you can’t say, I’m going to tie him down here for two or three balls and try variations.”

de Villiers, who had a fine career for South Africa despite making his international debut only at 29, also has a lot of respect for a teammate of Azharuddin’s – Manoj Prabhakar.

“Manoj Prabhakar helped me develop my off-cutters,” he said. “We used to chat and he told me as bowlers we should do something different. He said he was warming up with spinners and felt we could try a sort of slow spin ball.