The reason is not hard to find. He had more or less resigned himself to a diet of domestic Standard Bank league cricket for the next few weeks in a do-or-die effort to secure a place in the SA team to tour Australia.
Now, recognition has come ahead of schedule and he will be in Pakistan next week for the quadrangular series against the hosts, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
``Making the limited overs squad in Pakistan is the first step in getting to Australia later this season. The selectors have opened the door for me; now I must march through it,'' said De Villiers.
``It is going to be difficult to do a lot in a maximum of four limited overs matches but I shall be trying as never before.
``From my past experiences in Pakistan (all limited overs matches) I know how hard it is for a bowler of my pace to do well.
``I am certainly pleased with the way my form has gone so far this summer. I have got the ball to swing quite nicely and my variations of pace and seam have also been coming together.
``Variation is the key to bowling in limited overs cricket and this probably applies more in Asia than anywhere else.
``I know I got hit for quite a lot of runs in our narrow win over Border in that final over a week ago but you have to see that against the tactical background. ``Border needed more than 20 to win which meant they had to hit at least two sixes. By bowling wide of the off-stump I made that impossible.
``Had I had to defend seven or eight runs, then I would have bowled around the wicket and into the batsman.''
At the age of 33, De Villiers has hardly given a thought to how much longer he wants to play. ``If the right commercial opportunity came along outside cricket, then I would seriously think of retiring from sport because it would mean that I could spend far more time at home.
``But nothing has cropped up so far and I am feeling fit and on top of my game. I did not train in the off-season with a specific aim in mind apart from getting back into the national team.
``I concentrated on all the fitness exercises given us by Paddy Upton (the SA fitness trainer) but I think the big difference is that last season I never got the chance to recover properly and get back on an even keel.
``First I was sick in India and then there was that business with my fingers in the lawn mower. I can tell you one thing: I won't be going near the lawn, let alone my mower, before I go to Pakistan.''
Fanie is due to fly to Pakistan on Thursday but he may ask the United Cricket Board to postpone his trip to the weekend which would still give him plenty of time before the limited overs series starts.
His reasoning makes sense: ``Northerns want me to play in their Standard Bank league match against Natal on Friday and frankly that is just the sort of practice I need at the moment.''
But Australia remains the ultimate goal. South Africa's last tour there very much belonged to De Villiers both on and off the field.