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Cape Town - Former Proteas star batsman AB de Villiers will make his Big Bash League (BBL) debut for the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Tuesday.
According to the Heat's website, De Villiers arrived in Brisbane over the weekend and will replace Englishman Tom Banton.
The Heat are currently sixth on the BBL standings with four wins and four losses.
De Villiers' most recent stint was before Christmas when he played for the Tshwane Spartans that finished as runners-up in the Mzansi Super League (MSL).
The 35-year-old scored 325 runs in 9 MSL games at an average of 46.42.
Following his performance with the bat for the Spartans, De Villiers believes that he is currently in the "best form of his career".
"I feel good, I had a fantastic tournament in South Africa... I had a few good knocks, felt in some of the best form of my career so hopefully we'll see more of that in this tournament," he told reporters.
De Villiers will make his BBL debut on Tuesday as the Brisbane Heat host Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday at 06:40 SA time.
The South African admitted that there are some nerves and pressure after being deemed as the "biggest signing in the history of the Big Bash".
"I've said that many times in my career, wherever I play in the world, whether it's a club game or a World Cup semi-final, I feel the same pressure when I go out to bat," said De Villiers.
"I've always got that pressure I put on myself to perform at the best of my ability.
"All I can do is go out and just enjoy myself, make sure I have a good influence on my team-mates and hopefully make sure I have an impact on the game with bat in hand. Then there's the fielding and the off-field stuff so I have big role to play as an individual and not just a cricketer and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
- Compiled by Lynn Butler
