How to solve a problem like AB

It is the final over of a Twenty20 match, the opposition needs 15 runs to win and the batsman on strike is AB de Villiers.

It is a scenario that is the stuff of fast bowlers' nightmares.

The South African superstar has already shown how dangerous he can be this Indian Premier League season – scoring 28 off 13 and 46 off 28 in his first two games – and bowling to him is one of the toughest tasks in world cricket.

One man who knows de Villiers’ game inside out is former South Africa bowling coach and current Bangalore bowling mentor Allan Donald.

The former quick has revealed how he would tackle the near-impossible mission.

Allan Donald was a handful on Australian pitches in '94

“I think the field placement is very crucial here. I would have a predominantly on-side field. I would have a fine-leg, square-leg, a deep cow and a long-on,” Donald told iplt20.com.  

“I’ll have mid-on and mid-off up and a deep extra-cover. My third-man would be back.”

Donald says he would bowl short and avoid de Villiers’ feet.

“He can reverse, he can paddle and he can play the orthodox sweep as well. Bowling at his feet is a no-go. He’s going to lap it for six,” he said.

“I’d mostly bowl bouncers to him but one ball I’ll have to bluff him. I’d use my bouncer and slower bouncer well.”

Image Id: ~/media/DA86EBC44F6740FD97583A56D3CF78E8Allan Donald and AB de Villiers // Getty Images

With the field set and tactics settled, here is the over Donald would bowl:

Ball 1: A fast bouncer.

“I’d want him to hit me to that leg-side. With four fielders in the deep a batsman has no chance of hitting a boundary,” Donald said.

Ball 2: Another quick bouncer.

Ball 3: A short ball, slower and on the off-stump.

“It has to be a hard slow ball that stands up so that there is no real pace to work with.”

Ball 4: A yorker.

“I’ll have to bluff him with a yorker. With the third man back and the deep extra-cover I’ll have to be brave and go for a wide yorker.”

Ball 5: A hard, back-of-a-length, slower wide ball.

Ball 6: Similar to the fifth, but into the ribs.

“For the final ball, he’d probably try and run down at me so I’ll again go very hard, back of a length but I’ll bowl into his ribs so that it cramps him for room.”

It sounds like a solid plan, but Donald has a disclaimer.

 “I still don’t know whether that’s going to be good enough," he said. 

Image Id: ~/media/626841C4BE704BE79233A4609CA8619DDe Villiers is a master of invention // Getty Images

“He never practices those scoops and ramps, just sees the ball and reacts. He told us that all he focuses on is watching the ball all the time.

“All I can say is that I am glad he is on my team, so I don’t have to form plans with my bowlers on how to bowl to him.”