South Africa power hitter Klaasen retires from international cricket

South Africa batter Heinrich Klaasen has retired from all forms of international cricket, a blow for the country ahead of their co-hosting of the 2027 World Cup where he would have been a major draw card.

The 33-year-old cricketer took to social media to share the news, calling it a deeply emotional yet peaceful decision.

“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket,” Klaasen wrote. “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 reflected on his international journey, describing it as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. “From day one, it was the biggest privilege representing my country. It was everything I had worked for and dreamed about as a young boy,” he added.

The wicketkeeper-batter, who featured in 122 internationals for the Proteas, felt gratitude towards his coaches during his cricketing journey.

“I have made great friendships and relationships that I will treasure for life. Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet incredible people who changed my life. I can’t thank them enough. My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different from most, and there were certain coaches who continued to believe in me — to them, I’ll always be grateful.”

Klaasen stated that the main reason for his retirement was to spend more time with his family.

“I look forward to spending more time with my family, and this decision will allow me to do so. I will always be a big Proteas supporter and would like to thank everyone who supported me and my teammates throughout my career.”

Heinrich Klaasen made his international debut in 2018 during an ODI series against India and went on to represent South Africa across all three formats over a seven-year career.

ODIs proved to be his most successful format, where he played 60 matches and scored 2,141 runs at an average of 43.69 and an impressive strike rate of 117.05, including four centuries and 11 half-centuries.

Among his standout performances was a blistering 174 off just 83 balls against Australia at Centurion in 2023 — the highest individual score by any batter at No 5 in ODI history.

In T20Is, Klaasen featured in 58 matches, amassing 1,000 runs at a strike rate of 141.84, with five half-centuries to his name.

Klaasen had earlier retired from Tests in January 2024, having featured in four games in the longest format, scoring 104 runs at an average of 13.00.

The wicketkeeper batter last played for South Africa in March this year during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand. He was dismissed for just three runs off seven balls, as the Proteas lost the match by 50 runs.

— With additional input from Reuters