de Villiers is the most valuable cricketer on the planet: Gilchrist

AB can play all the shots in the book, is a superb wicket-keeper, a brilliant fielder and takes wickets when he bowls: Adam Gilchrist.

Heaping lavish praise on South Africa's ODI captain, AB de Villiers, former Australian wicket-keeper batsman and three time World Cup winner, Adam Gilchrist, has branded the Protea skipper as the "most valuable cricketer on the planet". In an exclusive TV interview with International Cricket Council (ICC), the legendary keeper also shared his excitement at the 2015 World Cup, being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, after a span of 23 years.

With 1085 runs from 31 World Cup games, Gilchrist is sixth in the list of the highest run-scorers in ODIs premier tournament. He has also accounted for as many as 52 dismissals (45 ct + 7 st), making him the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of the tournament. His performance is reflected in him being part of three Australian World Cup triumphs (1999, 2003 and 2007). Heaping praise on de Villiers, Gilchrist said:

"de Villiers is the most valuable cricketer on the planet. His versatility is extraordinary and he is amazing to watch. He's so inventive, he can play a touch game or a power game. Then, he can also keep wickets. He's also one of the best fielders in the world and recently has taken some wickets when he had a bowl. And he leads his team very well, so, I think he's the most valuable cricketer around."

Sharing his excitement over Australia and New Zealand hosting the prestigious tournament, Gilchrist felt the conditions in both countries would play a big role in the success of the tournament. "I think next month's tournament is going to be really exciting. Conditions, particularly in Australia, are going to be conducive to high scores, entertaining cricket and flamboyant play.

"In New Zealand, there are more result-based wickets on offer, as there's normally a bit in them for the bowlers. The batsmen might struggle a bit more over there, but I think were going to see an exciting and a close tournament," he said.

Harking back on his playing days, Gilchrist, who was part of three Australian triumphs, recalled fond memories from each edition of the prestigious tournament. "They were all very different (tournaments)," he said. "In 1999 (in England), we just scraped through. We lost two of our first three games and one slip-up and we knew we were out of the tournament. So, we were on a knifes edge, including the famous tied semi-final (against South Africa). It was close.

"In 2003 (in South Africa), again we were a little bit shaky early on, but we got it right. We had a few close calls where a number of games went right down to the wire and it took some flashes of individual brilliance to get us over the line. We ended up winning undefeated, but it was a lot closer than that.

"In 2007 (in the West Indies), we just dominated. Guys like Glenn McGrath and Matthew Hayden were taking opponents out of play, so that was probably the cruisier tournament. Not without hard work or commitment, but certainly there was a bit more of a relaxed view certainly compared to the other two. All three tournaments were very individual in their own right, but they were all wonderful memories," he signed off.