Mzansi Super League 2018: AB de Villiers appointed as Tshwane Spartans’ captain

The inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) is set to get underway on Friday, November 16 with the encounter between Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans at Newlands in Cape Town. The tournament will have 32 matches to be played over the next one month. In the meantime, AB de Villiers, the former South African cricketer, has been appointed as the captain of the Spartans.

Back in May, the Pretoria-born cricketer decided to hang his boots from international cricket, which left a massive void in the Proteas lineup. The domestic T20I event will also mark the cricketer’s return after he played a competitive match in the prestigious Indian Premier League. The 34-year-old expressed his keenness of leading the Spartans as per reports in the Spartans’ official Facebook page.

I’m excited about our bowlers as well

“I’m really excited to work with this group of players – there’s a lot of talent, with a great balance between youth and experience. Even though we’re missing out on a few players that aren’t available yet, we still have a fantastic balance in the side. There’s good skill right through, with batting depth all the way down to number nine, which isn’t normally the case with T20 cricket,” he mentioned.

“I’m excited about our bowlers as well. There’s lots of experience with a number of guys who have done this day in and day out and a couple of wrist spinners, with the option to go right or left-arm orthodox, so there are lots of variations.

I try lead from the front and rely on the experience I’ve picked up over the years. I believe I’m a decent man manager when it comes to understanding players’ strengths and weaknesses. I’m looking forward to it. It’s an exciting challenge and I’m ready for it,” he added.

He is also scheduled to play the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after he confirmed the same a couple of months. The experienced campaigner is most likely to play for Lahore Qalandars, who have finished as the cellar dwellers in all three editions of the event. For the time being, de Villiers would be looking to lead his team from the front.

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