Retired AB: I can't wait to play again

Cape Town - Former Proteas star AB de Villiers says he is enjoying his international retirement, but he can't wait to take to the field again.

Considered one of the greatest shot-makers in the history of the game, De Villiers stunned the world when he announced his retirement from international cricket in May, ending a life-long dream to win the World Cup.

Instead, De Villiers has prioritised playing T20 cricket.

In a column he wrote for Cricinfo, De Villiers said that he was enjoying his retirement but added that he was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

De Villiers will be captaining the Tshwane Spartans in the Mzansi Super League, which starts on Friday, before turning his attention to a number of other T20 tournaments.

The 34-year-old will be an ambassador in the Emirates T20 League in the UAE before playing in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistani Super League before another IPL season that starts in April.

"I am looking forward to being in the thick of the action. It is just under six months since I announced my retirement from international cricket and I have enjoyed spending precious time with my wife and two young sons, but now, rested and ready to go, I can't wait to play again," De Villiers wrote.

"Some people think I retired from all cricket. That was never the plan. I have been working hard in the gym and nets, and it's all systems go. This exhilarating barrage of top-class cricket starts with the launch of the inaugural Mzansi Super League in South Africa later this week."

De Villiers went on to praise the fact that there were so many competitive T20 competitions doing the rounds on the global circuit, saying that cricket had never been in a healthier place.

"Who organised this schedule? It's starting to feel like Formula One!" De Villiers said.

"The World Cup final will take place at Lord's in London on Sunday, 14 July, bringing to a close eight months of non-stop, top class white-ball cricket, in what must be one of the most sustained bursts of intense action in cricket history."