Heinrich Klaasen, the big-hitting South African batter, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 34. Klassen, who recently featured in the IPL for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, will walk away having represented South Africa in four Tests, 60 ODIs, and 58 T20Is. His decision is surely a shocker, but one that he put plenty of time into deciding. Klaasen’s announcement comes hours after Glenn Maxwell retired from ODI cricket.
Having announced he was done with Test cricket last year, Klaasen retires with immediate effect, bringing an end to a distinguished seven-year career with the Proteas. The wicketkeeper batter made his One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) debuts in the summer of 2018, and went on to establish himself as one of the most destructive white-ball players of his generation.
“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket. It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with,” Klaasen wrote on his Instagram handle. “From the first day, it was the biggest privilege representing my country and it was everything that I have worked for and dreamed about as a young boy.
