South Africa batter Heinrich Klaasen announces shock Test retirement

Cricket South Africa, in a release on Monday, informed that the wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen will retire from Test cricket with immediate effect. The 32-year-old featured in four Tests for the Proteas, the last of which came against West Indies in March last year.

Hyderabad:South Africa batter Heinrich Klaasen has retired from Test cricket, however, he will continue to be available for the Proteas in the white-ball formats.

Klaasen, a prolific performer for South Africa in the limited-overs format, played four Tests over his career. He made his debut against India in Ranchi in 2019, and last featured against West Indies in 2023.

The 'keeper-batter scored 104 runs at an average of 13 from his four games. His highest score was 35 against Australia in Sydney. The batter gave the reasons for his retirement in a statement, calling it a tough decision and adding that he was retiring from his favorite format.

"After a few sleepless nights wondering if I am making the right decision, I have decided to retire from red-ball cricket. It's a difficult decision that I have made because it is by far my favorite format of the game," the statement read.

"The battles that I faced on and off the field have made me the cricketer I am today. "It has been a great journey and I am glad I could have represented my country. My baggy Test cap is the most precious cap I have ever been handed," added Klaasen.

He has become the second South African player to retire from red-ball cricket within a week. Dean Elgar also hung up his boots following the conclusion of the two-Test series against India that ended in a 1-1 draw last week.

Klaasen was dropped for the India series, as head coach Shukri Conrad went ahead with Kyle Verreynne.

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