Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers will not be a part of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League, ESPNcricinfo has reported.

The Lahore Qalandars batsman will be released from the franchise ahead of the draft which will take place on December 6-7.

He represented Middlesex in England’s Vitality Blast T20 tournament in September and he will now head to Australia for his Big Bash League stint with Brisbane Heat before arriving in India for the Indian Premier League.

De Villiers played seven games of the previous edition and opted out of the Pakistan leg of the competition after suffering a back injury.

The six franchises in the T20 competition have till December 1 to make their final decisions regarding who to retain for next year’s edition.

The management are aiming to organise all the fixtures in Pakistan this time around.