Mignon du Preez retires from all international cricket

South Africa batter and former captain Mignon du Preez has announced her retirement from all international T20 cricket. She had already said she was stepping away from the longer formats in April this year, and now she's retiring from T20 internationals, bringing the curtain down on a South Africa career that spanned just short of 16 years. She will

Du Preez, 33, will continue to be available for T20 franchise leagues though. She is currently contracted to Trent Rockets in the Women's Hundred and Hobart Hurricanes the WBBL.

"Fifteen years of international cricket, wow, what a blessing it has been," du Preez said in a retirement note circulated by Cricket South Africa. "It's never an easy decision to step away from something you love as much as I love cricket, but I know in my heart that the time is right for me to announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket.

"However, I will still continue to play the shorter format of the game in the global leagues until such a time that I am blessed to become a mom and start a family of my own...

"I will definitely miss the change-room chats, the off-field friendships from all around the globe, travelling and learning about different cultures. However, I am extremely excited about the next phase of my life together with the ones that I love dearly and that have taken a back seat during the last 15 years of my career."

In April, her Test and ODI retirement was announced following South Africa's stellar 50-over World Cup campaign in New Zealand, where she helped steer them into their second straight semi-final. The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August was her last tournament for South Africa.

Having debuted as a 17-year-old in 2007, finishes with 154 ODIs, 114 T20Is and one Test - in which she captained and scored a hundred. She finished as the all-time leading run-scorer for South Africa in ODIs. And, in all, she was a part of seven T20 World Cups, in which she oversaw a period in which South Africa went from being rookies to top contenders.

She took over as full-time captain in 2011 and led the team for five years before stepping down to focus on her batting. In all, she led South Africa in 46 ODIs, 50 T20Is and the only Test the team has played since her debut.

"This is a bittersweet moment for South African cricket and the world at large as we bid farewell to one of the game's favourite characters on the international stage," Enoch Nkwe, CSA's director of cricket, said.

"Over the last 16 years, du Preez's professionalism and commitment shown towards her country has been exemplary... Her devoted, passionate team-first personality will be sorely missed, and I wish her the very best with the rest of her career and life after the game."