South Africa’s explosive middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket at the age of 33. The decision comes ahead of Proteas’ co-hosting duties for the 2027 ICC World Cup, where Klaasen was expected to be a key player.
In a statement released by Cricket South Africa on Monday, Klaasen said, “It is a sad day for me… but one that I have absolute peace with.” He added that the decision was driven by the desire to spend more time with his family.
Renowned for his powerful hitting, Klaasen has been a mainstay in South Africa’s white-ball setup and is expected to continue his career on the global T20 circuit.
South Africa’s Director of National Teams and High Performance Enoch Nkwe said he understood the reasons for Klaasen’s decision.
“He has been transparent with Cricket South Africa throughout the past few months, and we fully respect his decision to retire from international cricket,” Nkwe said. “We wish him continued success in the next chapter of his journey.”
Klaasen averaged 43.69 with four centuries and 11 fifties in 60 one-day internationals, and scored exactly 1,000 runs in 58 T20 internationals at a strike rate of 141.84. He also played four test matches for South Africa.
(With inputs from Reuters)