South Africa's best XI since readmission

AB De Villiers

An entertaining freak who never ceases to amaze, AB de Villiers is a gift to world cricket, bringing much-needed craziness to the game with his astonishing range of strokes. He becomes a completely different player in Tests, trading the eye-catching shots with traditional technique. His cover drive is as much a treat to watch, as his ramp shot over fine leg.

He contributes to the team in more ways than one, most distinctly with his electric fielding anywhere on the ground, even behind the stumps where he has kept wickets for quite a while. As a captain, he monitors his troops shrewdly, but the constant pain of missing out on an ICC trophy is a dent in an otherwise scintillating career.