Heinrich Klaasen announces retirement from International cricket

South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has retired from international cricket immediately. On Monday, the 33-year-old cricketer tweeted that it was a highly emotional yet peaceful decision.

“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket,” Klaasen wrote. “I took a long time to decide what was best for me and my family in the future. Although it was challenging, I am at peace with my choice.”

Klaasen said his foreign trip fulfilled a longstanding dream. Klaasen retired to spend more time with his family. Heinrich Klaasen made his international debut in 2018 in an ODI series against India and represented South Africa in all three formats for seven years.

His best format was ODIs, where he played 60 matches and scored 2,141 runs at 43.69 and 117.05, including four centuries and 11 half-centuries. In 2023, he scored 174 off 83 balls against Australia in Centurion, the greatest score by a No. 5 batsman in ODI history.

Klaasen scored 1,000 runs at 141.84 in 58 T20 Internationals, including five half-centuries. He averaged 13.00 in four Test matches, scoring 104 runs. The wicketkeeper batsman last played for South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand in March. He was dismissed for three runs off seven balls as the Proteas lost by 50 runs.

Klaasen’s choice was obvious given Shukri Conrad’s national team ambition. Conrad, appointed South Africa’s white-ball coach last month, stressed that representing South Africa will trump T20 leagues. Whenever feasible, he fields the strongest South African team.

South Africa has a busy schedule in all formats, including multiple white-ball series in July August and September. These games overlap with MLC, The Hundred, and the Caribbean Premier League.

Klaasen plays for the Seattle Orcas and Manchester Originals in the MLC and The Hundred as one of South Africa’s top T20 players. Conrad was anticipated to work with Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi outside the central contract system.

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