‘I am a very big fan’ - Fakhar Zaman wants AB de Villiers in PSL team Lahore Qalandars

It has been more than three years since AB de Villiers retired from international cricket. However, the South African dasher hasn’t lost his sheen yet. He has been tormenting bowlers consistently in T20 tournaments like Indian Premier League and Big Bash League (BBL). While it’s confirmed that de Villiers won’t return to his national team, the swashbuckler isn’t likely to quit professional cricket anytime soon. Hence, Fakhar Zaman is optimistic about the veteran cricketer’s participation in Pakistan Super League (PSL).

For the unversed, de Villiers has featured in one edition of PSL, representing Lahore Qalandars in 2019. In seven games that season, the right-handed batsman garnered as many as 218 runs at a mind-boggling average of 54.50. However, he made himself unavailable for the following two seasons. Nevertheless, Lahore Qalandars batsman Fakhar Zaman wants to join forces with ABD in Pakistan’s marquee T20 league.

I follow AB de Villiers a lot: Fakhar Zaman

“From the very start, I am a very big fan of AB de Villiers. I follow him a lot. He did represent Lahore Qalandars, but did not play a lot of matches. So if you ask me about one player, I want AB de Villiers to play for Lahore Qalandars,” Zaman told Cricket Pakistan.

AB de Villiers was last seen in the now-postponed Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 37-year-old unleashed his A-game and played several jaw-dropping knocks. In total, he scored 207 runs in seven outings at a staggering strike rate of over 160.

As a result, the Virat Kohli-led side won five of their first seven games and was third in the team standings at the time of season suspension. The South African star is expected to join RCB in the remaining season later this year. Although the dates and schedule are yet to come, the Board of Control from Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the remaining games will be conducted in UAE.

Speaking of Zaman, the Lahore Qalandars opener is gearing for the resumption of PSL 2021. Like IPL, Pakistan’s primary T20 league was suspended midway earlier this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The remaining PSL games will be played in UAE between June 9 and June 24. In the first leg of the season, Qalandars won three of their four games and would be determined to continue their stellar run.