"Always knew he was a match-winner" - AB de Villiers’ massive praise for South Africa star after IND vs SA 2025 Test series

Former South African captain AB de Villiers heaped praise on Simon Harmer for his heroics, as the Proteas scripted a historic Test series win on the Indian soil recently. Reflecting on the veteran spinner's struggles in playing for South Africa regularly, De Villiers said he always knew Harmer was a match-winner.

The off-spinner was the point of difference between the teams in the two matches, claiming the Player of the Series award for his 17 wickets in four innings at 8.94. The 36-year-old claimed eight wickets in the opening Test in Kolkata, followed by nine in the second in Guwahati, where he also claimed a six-wicket haul, as South Africa beat India by 408 runs.

When asked by Ravichandran Ashwin in the latest video on his YouTube channel 'Ashwin' to dissect Harmer's impact against India, De Villiers recalled how frustrated he got over the last few years on not getting an opportunity despite taking plenty of wickets in county cricket. Recalling the veteran's underwhelming tour of India in 2015, the 41-year-old elaborated:

"I’m a huge fan and I’ve got a nice story about him. We didn’t grow up together but he was at the school across the road from me. So, we big rivals growing up. I’ve always known about him and as he came through the ranks, we sort of became friends but he couldn’t break through. He went to county cricket, got hundreds of wickets, year in and year out, one of the star performers. We stayed in touch and I could sort of sense his frustration on not getting an opportunity. When he did, he could throw into the deep end over there in India and didn’t do incredibly well and he was out again. I felt for this guy and I always knew he was a match-winner."

At the same time, De Villiers said it's a shame that the surreal moment came so late in Harmer's career.

"Coming against Pakistan now recently and also against India, sort of a breakthrough series for him. He really showed what he’s capable of and sometimes it’s all a player needs. It’s a shame for him it’s only happened now in his career. He’s not 25 anymore but I think he’s looked after his body well and he’s got a few years ahead of him. He’s a smart cricketer and can also hold the bat, chip in and definitely a player with character. So, I’m incredibly proud of him. Man of the series performance, it couldn’t have been scripted better for him," he added.

The Pretoria-born cricketer is notably the second-highest wicket-taker for Essex in first-class cricket, claiming 513 scalps in 116 games at 23.09.

"I’m absolutely speechless about their performance" - AB de Villiers on South Africa

In the same video, De Villiers recalled how most of them predicted for South Africa to go through a period of transition, but lavished praise on captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad for turning the team's fortunes around. Dissecting how South Africa rely on players with character and self-belief, he added:

"It is quite an emotional one for the Proteas. I’m absolutely speechless about their performance over their last few years. A lot of them were calling out to go through them over a transitional phase of 5-10 years, try and find their feet after a lot of players retired, including myself and a bunch of others. I spoke to Kagiso Rabada and it came out of the horse’s mouth when saying you know what we miss you guys and it doesn’t quite feel the same."

"That was a few years back and I thought they’re going to have to find a bit of magic from somewhere to stay afloat over the next few years but they surprised everyone under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, coach Shukri Conrad. They seem to have found something really special in that team. I don’t think they are completely out of the woods and we’re not going to put our hands up say they’re the perfect cricket team. But they rely a lot on character and self-belief. That sort of drives the engine at the moment," he concluded.

South Africa will now turn their attention to the ODI series against India, beginning November 30 in Ranchi.