South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 32. He made the emotional declaration through Instagram on Monday, revealing that he had made the difficult decision to step away from international duties.
Klaasen said, “Today is a sad day for me as I’ve decided to step away from international cricket.” He added that the decision took him a long time, but he believes it is the right move for his and his family’s future. His main motivation, as stated in his heartfelt message, is to spend more quality time with his loved ones. “I now look forward to the opportunity of being with my family more often,” he wrote.
The right-handed batter had already bid farewell to Test cricket in January last year. In his international career, Heinrich Klaasen played 60 One Day Internationals (ODIs), 58 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and 4 Test matches for South Africa. He earned a reputation for his explosive batting in white-ball formats and was considered a key middle-order asset for the national side.
Klaasen’s final appearance in international cricket came in March this year during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand. It turned out to be a disappointing end to his international journey as he scored just 3 runs off 7 balls. South Africa eventually lost the match by 50 runs.
Although Heinrich Klaasen retires from international cricket, he is expected to continue playing in franchise leagues across the world. Fans may still see him in action in T20 tournaments, but his absence will certainly be felt in the South African squad.
