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South African wicketkeeper-batter Henrich Klaasen in a shocking news, on Monday, January 8th announced retirement from Test cricket. This decision from the 32-year-old Protean came after he was overlooked for the recently concluded two-match Test series against India.
Taking to Instagram, Klaasen started, “’Still the same Me, with the same Name. Just a different mindset and a new game.’” “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 favourite format of the game,” he further added.
Klassen, who has played only four Tests over a span of four years further spoke of the player he has been both on and off the field. “The battles that I faced on and off the field has made me the cricketer I am today. It has been a great journey and I am glad I could have represented my Country.”
The Director of Cricket at the Cricket South Africa (CSA), Enoch Nkwe, confirmed Klaasen’s Test retirement, thanking the batter for his contribution in the red-ball format. “It is tough to see a player of Heinrich’s calibre step away from red-ball cricket, but we respect his decision,” Nkwe said.
“We look forward to seeing him excel in the white-ball arena and continue to make valuable contributions to South African cricket in the years ahead,” he added.
The Transvaal Province-born player has been a seasoned first-class player, having played 85 games and amassing 5347 runs at an average of 46. He has 12 centuries and 24 half-centuries to his name.