Glenn Maxwell lauds Brevis for rising above early AB de Villiers comparison challenges: 'All the Baby AB stuff'

Dewald Brevis is creating continuous rumblings in world cricket after scoring a blistering 41-ball century against Australia in the second T20I of the recently concluded three-match series. Nicknamed “Baby AB” due to his striking resemblance to South African legend AB de Villiers, Brevis is making significant strides in international cricket . So much so that even Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has acknowledged the talent of the 22-year-old.

Glenn Maxwell revealed he first noticed Brevis due to the significant impact he made at the 2022 U19 World Cup for South Africa. Maxwell said that comparisons with De Villiers pushed him to the top in the queue for selection in the South African team, but he also had to bear the large expectations due to the same reason.

“Brevis has got a lot of talent. It was hard not to see the highlights when he played the U19 World Cup for South Africa", Maxwell told media, as quoted by I_ndian Express_. All the Baby AB stuff. It’s a pretty heavy burden he had to have early in his career. He probably got fast-tracked a little bit into the South African side.” .

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Maxwell praises Brevis for showcasing perseverance

Maxwell hailed Brevis for staying resilient when things didn’t initially go his way, putting in the hard work to make a comeback, with the results now evident.

“He’s gone away, worked on his game, and he’s come back playing beautifully. His bat swing is really pure—he’s hard to stop when he gets going,” he added.

Riding on the momentum of the century in the 2nd T20I, Brevis scored an emphatic 53 off 26 balls in the 3rd T20I at the Cazalys Stadium, and inspired SA to post a fair total of 172/7 in 20 overs. However, it was the home side that got the last laugh. Glenn Maxwell smashed a flawless 62 off 26 balls to guide the Aussies towards victory. On the back of Maxwell’s exceptional knock and Mitchell Marsh’s vital 54-run innings, Australia clinched the victory in a thrilling match by two wickets with one ball to spare. With the win, Australia won the series 2-1.