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AB de Villiers vs Steve Smith

The full picture, side by side: honours, records, money and the numbers fans actually argue about.

AB de VilliersAB de Villiers Steve SmithSteve Smith
CricketSportCricket
South AfricaNationalityAustralia
February 17, 1984BornJune 2, 1989
1.78 m / 5 ft 10 inHeight1.75 m / 5 ft 9 in
$85MNet worth-
5Major honours5
3Records2

Career Numbers

114Test Matches-
228ODI Matches-
78T20I Matches-
8,765Test Runs10,763
9,577ODI Runs5,800
-T20 Runs1,000+
-Test Average60+
-ODI Average40+

Honours Side by Side

AB de Villiers (5)

  • ICC ODI Player of the Year
  • Wisden Cricketers of the Decade
  • Fastest ODI Fifty
  • Fastest ODI Century
  • Fastest ODI 150

Steve Smith (5)

  • ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year
  • ICC Test Player of the Year
  • ICC ODI Player of the Year
  • Ashes Series Winner
  • ICC World Cup Winner

The Case for Each

AB de Villiers brings the heavier trophy cabinet: 5 documented honours against 5 for Steve Smith. Silverware is not the whole story, but it is the first line of any cricket argument.

On records, AB de Villiers holds 3 documented marks to 2 for Steve Smith. The headline entry: Most Test innings without a duck. Records show peaks; honours show sustained dominance. The two lists rarely agree on a winner, which is exactly why this debate refuses to die.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. AB de Villiers shows 8,765 in test runs; Steve Smith answers with 10,763. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Put the raw numbers side by side and the picture sharpens. AB de Villiers shows 9,577 in odi runs; Steve Smith answers with 5,800. Context matters: different leagues, different eras and different roles all bend a stat line, so treat the gap as a conversation starter rather than a verdict.

Cricket commands fanatical audiences from London to Mumbai to Melbourne, and its greats are worshipped like few athletes anywhere. The sport spans five-day Tests and three-hour T20 blockbusters, demanding entirely different skills across its formats. Its star batters and bowlers are national icons. That backdrop is what makes a matchup like this one resonate beyond the box scores.

AB de Villiers is the senior figure by roughly 5 years, which frames the comparison: one career is closer to its final shape, the other still has chapters to write.

Dig deeper any time: AB de Villiers and Steve Smith carry full, daily-updated stats, honours and news on AthleteWiki.

Full profiles: AB de Villiers · Steve Smith