Breaking: AB de Villiers announces that he will play in the PSL 2019

What's the story?

It was in May 2018 that AB de Villiers decided to call it a day from international cricket.

However, he decided to continue playing in international T20 leagues, his favourite go-to option being the RCB side in the IPL. It was a relief for his fans worldwide, as they evidently haven't had enough of watching his magic with the willow.

And now, just about an hour ago, it has been officially announced that he has signed up for participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as well. Time for Pakistan skies to be lit up with some AB fireworks.

In case you didn't know...

South African legend de Villiers created quite a furore on 23rd May 2018, when he released a video on Twitter announcing of his decision to retire from international cricket with immediate effect. The genius batsman was touted as one of the biggest hopes in their journey toward a successful World Cup 2019, but AB had other plans.

He scored 20014 runs from 420 international games across all formats. ODIs were his most favoured hunting grounds, where he has the record of fastest 50, fast 100 and fastest 150, among many others.

It does not mean that he is no less effective in T20s either. In IPL he is just 47 runs short of reaching the 4000-run mark, and all this way along, he has batted with a strike rate of over 150 and an average of just decimal points short of 40.

The details

By now it's probably a de-Villiers-trademark – to release a video for every big announcement. Look at ABD's message to the fans on his new role:

BREAKING: The GOAT from South Africa is now a part of PSL! A warm welcome to @abdevilliers17 #ABaurPSL pic.twitter.com/0oiSjPSEOZ

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) September 7, 2018

AbD did not feature in any of the three previous seasons of PSL.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s newly-appointed chairperson Ehsan Mani is visibly delighted on the latest piece of news. While speaking to the media, he wholeheartedly welcomed the Protean champ and said, "We are delighted with the signing of de Villiers for Pakistan Super League. He is a modern-day great and he will add immense value to the tournament. His involvement in PSL will also provide great learning opportunities for our youngsters."

What's next?

Undoubtedly, ABD will be one of the biggest attractions in the soon-to-commence player auctions ahead of the PSL 2019, which is slated to happen between February and March the next year. It is also an opportunity for de Villiers to reach the 300-mark in sixes in T20 cricket, with his current tally standing at just one less.

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