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Everyone is watching the game evolve with AB de Villiers, says Jos Buttler

File picture of Jos Buttler and AB de Villiers during the 2014 World Twenty

Wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler credited South Africa’s swashbuckling AB de Villiers for completely changing the way cricket was played after he smashed England's fastest ever one-day international century, reports IBNlive.

Buttler scored a 46-ball century against Pakistan in the final match of the recently concluded 4-match ODI series at the Dubai Cricket Stadium. With that quick-fire knock, he also entered the top 10 fastest centurions list where he stands eighth now.

De Villiers holds the record for the fastest ODI century. He achieved that feat in just 31 deliveries playing against West Indies earlier this year.

The English record-breaker said everyone follows De Villiers’ game and so does he himself do. He added that De Villiers is the one reason for his style of play.

"As everyone always says, the invention of Twenty20, and someone like De Villiers is someone who's changed the game completely. Everyone else is wanting to follow his lead," said Buttler.

He continued and said everyone wants to copy De Villiers destructive game. "The consistency he (De Villiers) shows is mind-blowing, to score at that rate. Everyone is watching the game evolve, and every player is a cricket fan, so they watch a lot of cricket. To see guys like him and all the others who do that sort of thing, you want to emulate that," he said.

The 25-year-old was dropped from the Test squad following the match on the same very same ground. He said it’s pleasing to score some big runs on the very same ground where and make a comeback.

"To come back to this ground, having been dropped after the Test match here and have a bit better day is obviously immensely satisfying," said Buttler.

England’s skipper Eoin Morgan was stunned by Buttler’s efforts. He was left speechless and said it’s a privilege to have Buttler in the same team.

"I think we were lost for words in the changing room," said Morgan. "So many were used to describe it - but one that wasn't was a surprise,” Morgan said. "We're very privileged to work, train day in day out with Jos. The ability he shows there all came together for him. It was just absolutely incredible - certainly the best one-day knock I've ever seen in an England shirt."

Pakistan lost the series by 3-1 and England continued their good run with the new team in the shorter format of the game. Buttler has evolved himself as on of the best middle-order batsmen in the recent time.

Here’s are some of Buttler’s achievements:

BUTTLER’S THREE FASTEST CENTURIES

Balls Against Year
47 Pakistan 2015
61 New Zealand 2015
66 Sri Lanka 2013

TOP 10 FASTEST ODI CENTURIONS

Runs Balls 6s 4s Player Match Venue Year
149 31 16 9 AB de Villiers South Africa v West Indies Johannesburg 18/01/15
131* 36 14 6 CJ Anderson New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown 01/01/14
102 37 11 6 Shahid Afridi Pakistan v Sri Lanka Nairobi 04/10/96
147* 44 10 8 MV Boucher South Africa v Zimbabwe Potchefstroom 20/09/06
117 45 4 18 BC Lara West Indies v Bangladesh Dhaka 09/10/99
102 45 9 10 Shahid Afridi Pakistan v India Kanpur 15/04/05
104 46 5 12 JD Ryder New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown 01/01/14
116* 46 8 10 JC Buttler England v Pakistan Dubai (DSC) 20/11/15
134 48 11 11 ST Jayasuriya Sri Lanka v Pakistan Singapore 02/04/96
113 50 6 13 KJ O'Brien Ireland v England Bangalore 02/03/11
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