South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen announces his retirement from Test cricket
32-year-old Heinrich Klaasen from South Africa announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, January 8, coming up with an emotional statement on social media. Klaasen's decision came after he was overlooked for the recent 2-match Test series against India.
Heinrich Klaasen is one of the finest middle-order batters in ODI cricket and has played only 4 Tests over 4 years. His most recent assignment in whites for India came when he kept wickets for South Africa in a home Test against the West Indies in March 2023.
Klaasen said in a statement on social media that, “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.”
Klaasen’s retirement comes days after their former captain Dean Elgar brought down the curtains on his celebrated Test career. Elgar led South Africa in his farewell test against India in Cape Town.
Klaasen is a seasoned first-class player, having played 85 games and scoring 5347 runs at a stellar average of 46. He hit 12 centuries and twenty-fifties in his career.