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Former South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen broke his silence on international cricket retirement, saying that while he had planned to continue in white-ball cricket till 2027 Cricket World Cup at home, the departure of Rob Walter as coach from white-ball side and appointment of Shukri Conrad to the post left him uncertain and unable to gain mutual agreement with the board to participate in four major T20 leagues alongside his international commitments.
On Tuesday, Klaasen, 33, shocked the cricketing world after announcing his retirement from international cricket. Having previously retired from Tests after wearing the whites on four occasions from 20192-2023, Klaasen continued as a massive part of Proteas' white-ball middle-order, while also making a name for himself as one of the most sought-after players in the T20 franchise circuit. Since 2022, he has been a force to be reckoned with in T20 cricket, with 3,833 runs in 145 appearances for South Africa and various franchises, at an average of 35.49, a strike rate of 158.19, three centuries and 25 fifties. But despite his white-ball exploits, he was kept out of South Africa's central contract list in April, with reports suggesting he could have turned it down to focus on league cricket. Since 2023, he has been SA's top ODI run-getter with 1,345 runs in 30 matches and 28 innings at an average of 51.73, striking at a stunning 135.58, with three centuries and seven fifties. According to a Rapport report as quoted by Wisden, Klaasen had wanted to wear Proteas colours till the 2027 World Cup, but a change of head coach before the completion of his contract left him uncertain. Also, when Conrad was appointed to take over the white-ball sides after success in Tests, Klaasen could not attain a agreement with Cricket South Africa (CSA) for participation in four major leagues: Indian Premier League (IPL), Major League Cricket (MLC) in USA, SA20 at home and The Hundred in UK. "I felt for a long time that I did not really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That is the wrong place to be," Klaasen told Rapport as quoted by Wisden. "I had a long conversation with Rob before the Champions Trophy, and I told him I did not feel good in my heart about what was going on. I was not enjoying it that much. We talked nicely, we planned everything nicely up to and including the World Cup in 2027. So when he finished as coach and the [contract] negotiations [with CSA] did not go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier," he added. Klaasen's availability to play MLC and The Hundred would have kept him away from the Zimbabwe-New Zealand tri-nation series and white-ball tour to Australia, which caused the negotiations with CSA to fall short, as per the Rapport report. The batter, a father to a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, revealed that his desire to spend time with his family also contributed to his retirement: "Now I can spend six or seven months at home. My family needs it. It has been a long four years with a lot of travel. I need a little rest." Klaasen's iconic whip-pull off the spinners made him a dangerous prospect across the formats for South Africa. He was a member of the South Africa side that featured in the recent ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, and the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025. He scored 2141 runs with a highest score of 174 in his 60 ODIs at an average of 43.69. In the T20Is, he scored 1000 runs with a highest score of 81 and a strike rate of 141.84. While he smashed four centuries and 11 fifties in ODIs, Klaasen had five T20I half-centuries against his name. His power-hitting was on full display during a blistering career-best 174 against Australia at his home ground, SuperSport Park, in 2023 - the second highest score ever recorded by a number five. (ANI)
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