Former South African international and now T20 freelancer AB de Villiers won’t be part of Australia’s Big Bash League 2019-20, as reported by cricket.com.au.
Despite big interest from various BBL franchises to sign De Villiers, who was most recently seen plying his trade in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he opted out of the upcoming season.
The 35-year-old bowed out of international cricket last April but remains one of the world’s most sought-after commodities on the T20 circuit, with his revolutionary batting skills in the one-day format transferring seamlessly into the game’s shortest format.
Since he quit playing for South Africa, de Villiers led Tshwane Spartans in the inaugural Mzansi Super League followed by a trip to the UAE as global ambassador for the new Emirates T20 League. In 2019, he made his Bangladesh Premier League debut for Rangpur Riders and then hopped back to the UAE for his first stint in the Pakistan Super League.
As a T20 batsman, de Villiers has also played in the Caribbean Premier League.
This comes after BBL increased the cap of recruiting foreign players by the BBL clubs from four to six, to lure more foreign signees. The playing XI can still accommodate only two overseas players.
Sydney Thunders’ Shane Watson had earlier announced that he will not return for the BBL while Adelaide Strikers’ Colin Ingram also did not renew his contract. A major reason for foreign players not warming up to BBL is because of the cluttered cricket schedule. LAst year, the BBL clashed with the Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League and international bilateral tournaments as well.
