AB de Villiers Joins Brisbane Heat, Will Make Big Bash League Debut
Big Bash League: Brisbane Heat head coach Darren Lehmann said he was excited to have a world class player like AB de Villiers in the team
Highlights
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AB de Villiers signed up for Big Bash League team Brisbane Heat
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This will be the first time he will feature in the BBL
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AB de Villiers is the highest scorer in T20s in 2019
AB de Villiers, South African superstar, has signed for Brisbane Heat ahead of the Big Bash League 2019-20 season. This will be de Villiers's debut in Australia's premier Twenty20 competition. "Very pleased to have signed for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash. Great team, great city," de Villiers tweeted after signing for the Brisbane team that also boasts of Australian stars like Chris Lynn and Marnus Labuschagne. The South African batsman also said that it was an easy decision to sign for the Brisbane Heat as they play an aggressive brand of cricket.
"They play the kind of cricket that I want to be associated with. It's quite aggressive. They go after the attack," de Villiers told https://www.brisbaneheat.com.au.
"And the Gabba, it's a beautiful cricket field. It's a great wicket and games are always of a high quality," he added.
 Brisbane Heat head coach Darren Lehmann said he was excited to have a world class player like de Villiers in the team.
"World class players don't just come along every day and to have a player of AB's stature and skill in the BBL is a fantastic outcome for everyone, not just the Heat," he said.
"He's a 360-degree player, great skills, outstanding temperament and an insightful leader. We're excited to bring him into the group this summer and allow him to showcase his skills for the fans," the former Australia coach said.
De Villiers played 114 Tests, 228 one-dayers and 78 T20Is in a 14-year career for South Africa before retiring from international cricket in 2018.
He is also one of the best T20 players in the world. Known as 'Mr 360' because of his ability to improvise and play shots in every direction, he uses his skills to deadly effect in the shortest format of the game. De Villiers has played 295 T20s in his career, having notched 8,186 runs with a strike rate of 149.84.
In the Indian Premier League last season, de Villiers scored 442 runs at an average of 44.20 and a strike rate of 154 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
He also starred for Middlesex in the recent Vitality Blast T20 competition, scoring four half centuries in eight innings.
He is currently the highest run-getter in T20s in 2019, with 1,255 runs.
Brisbane Heat
AB de Villiers