The ‘Rainbow Nation’ were eliminated from the ongoing ICC U19 World Cup 2022 Super League in the quarter-final after a six-wicket loss to England. Despite their loss, South Africa have found a youngster who can achieve global recognition.
Fondly called ‘Baby AB’, Dewald Brevis is known for his ability to score irrespective of the field placements. The youngster showcased his timing and stroke play abilities by setting the stage on fire right from the Proteas’ first game against India by scoring a brilliant 65.
Out of six innings in the tournament, the 18-year-old Brevis scored 97, 96, 104,65, and 138 in his five innings, and he is comfortably the tournament’s leading run-scorer with a batting average of 84.33. The first century in the tournament came against Uganda, as the Proteas registered a comprehensive 121-run win, while his second century was scored against Bangladesh in South Africa’s last game.
Against England, when his team skittled for just 209 even after playing their quota of 50 overs, Brevis stepped up for his side with a scintillating 97 with hardly any support from the other end, and he did it when it mattered the most. He fell agonizingly short of a century against England and Ireland.
The ‘Baby AB’ mystery
Brevis showcased that his class was different in his performances and the reason for so much hype surrounding him. The emerging cricketer is also a die-hard fan of AB de Villiers in real life. Apart from sharing the same school with great South African Players like de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, the youngster’s batting stance and timing have a resemblance to de Villiers’. Moreover, he also dons the jersey number 17, and he had asked de Villiers before donning that number.
He possesses a cricketing intellect that allows him to manipulate bowlers and their fields while his textbook technique remains compact and classy. The shot selection is stunning, while the ability to rotate the strike with ease is very admirable. He has the power to take on the attack and clear the fences often.
Proteas and their U19 World Cup records
Brevis is on top of the list as a South African in acquiring the most runs in a U19 World Cup and eighth on the overall list of records across nations. Apart from him, DA Hendricks has the most runs during the 2009/10 season, while Aiden Markram had the highest batting average during the 2013/14 season.
Very few players from South Africa have made it to the list of most runs in a U19 World Cup, and after R van Tonder’s 2017/18 U19 records, Brevis’ 506 runs in his six matches make it to the list.
The youngster says that he wishes to be seen as an all-rounder. He bowls leg-spin and wishes to work on that. The batter loves the IPL and would want to be a part of it.