Debating on the topic of the greatest T20 batsman, Wright, the England all-rounder, and Wilde, co-author of 2020’s Wisden Book of the Year Cricket 2.0: Inside the T20 Revolution, spoke about de Villiers’ enterprising strokeplay and all-round competence in the shortest format. Retired from international cricket but plying his trade in leagues round the world, the South African has scored 8,657 runs in 310 T20 games, averaging 37.15 at a brilliant strike-rate of 149.77.

LW: When you look at some of the modern players now who are just as great, someone like AB de Villiers – he is 360, you can’t just bowl yorkers to him. Even if you’re having your best day out as a bowler and getting yorkers in, he’s got an answer to that. Someone like him, you stand there at times in awe, as a bowler, you’ll turn and go ‘Look, I’ve done everything I wanted to, he’s still able to hit me for a four.’

LW: In T20, you often speak about dot ball count. Correct me if I am wrong – Gayle has got one of the highest dot-ball counts in cricket. If that was anyone else, mere mortals like myself, we probably won’t have a job. But because of the brutal power he is able to adapt that.

With de Villiers, there’s no stopping. If he does miss out on the boundary, he is getting off stroke which hurts you in a different way. Such a hard thing about this debate about who is the greatest. There are so many different strengths. In the Big Bash recently, AB de Villiers played for Brisbane Heat, you’re going to the meetings about how people are going to try and shut him down, you’re looking at statistics – red comes up if it is someone not to bowl at and it’s above 140 strike-rate, etc. It is just red for De Villiers.

There is nothing to stop him really. You have to hope he has an off day.