DUBAI: Swashbuckling England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler Saturday admitted he follows South African master blaster AB de Villiers in batting, which led him to smash the fastest one-day hundred for his country.
Buttler, 25, smashed 52-ball 116 not out in the fourth day-night international against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday, completing his hundred off just 46 balls.
It was the joint seventh fastest one-day hundred in all one-day cricket.
De Villiers holds the record for the fastest one-day hundred off 31 balls he smashed against the West Indies at Johannesburg in January this year.
Buttler said the invention of Twenty20 and De Villiers are reasons for his big hitting.
"As everyone always says, the invention of Twenty20, and someone like De Villiers is someone who's changed the game completely, and everyone else is wanting to follow his lead," said Buttler.
His knock included eight sixes and ten boundaries and helped his team to 355-5. Pakistan were bowled out for 271, giving an 84-run win and s 3-1 series triumph to England.
Buttler said he likes to emulate De Villiers and other big hitters.
"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."
Buttler said the knock was satisfying for him after being dropped from the Test series following the second match at the same ground.
"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 of Dubai stadium.
Buttler said England's one-day win spurred the team after their 2-0 defeat in the preceding Test series.
"For the guys to win the series here is going to breed a lot of confidence in that changing-room."
Buttler said he got rhythm after a few shots.
"You just tend to get into a rhythm, and everything is working well - and you just react to the ball that comes down.
"A lot is pre-meditated, but you try to have an option if it's not in the area you think it's going to be - so you're not over-committed.
"What it's done, coming back against the white ball for me is I'm just watching the ball and playing - taking away 'where my off-stump is' and all that.
England skipper Eoin Morgan said Buttler's knock dumbed everyone in the dressing room.
"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.
"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."
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