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'Scary, miles faster' - AB de Villiers picks Shoaib Akhtar over Jasprit Bumrah as better fast bowler

During a recent podcast appearance, former South African batsman AB de Villiers discussed the toughest quick bowlers he encountered during his playing days. He singled out Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar as possessing unmatched raw speed, rating him far quicker than Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga.

Reflecting on the different phases of his career, de Villiers noted that he faced Akhtar earliest and regarded him as terrifyingly rapid. In contrast, he collided with Bumrah toward the conclusion of his professional journey, ultimately praising the Indian paceman for exceptional consistency and error-free execution.

He also added that Malinga never caused him significant trouble since those encounters occurred after he had fully matured as a batsman.

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