Heinrich Klaasen retires from international cricket

South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced that he is stepping away from international cricket, as he looks to prioritise his T20 league future.

The decision means Klaasen, who will be 34 next month, played his last game for South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to New Zealand in Lahore in March. That has turned out to be the final game of a seven-year international career, in which he played four Tests, 60 ODIs and and 58 T20Is. It was in the white-ball formats that he really made an impact, and his reputation as one of the game's most fearsome middle-order hitters; he exits ODIs with one of the highest career strike rates.

It was in the 50-over format that he played one of the innings people will remember most, a blistering 83-ball 174 against Australia in Centurion. He was a key figure in South Africa's runs to the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup as well as the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. His dismissal in that final against India for a 27-ball 52 was one of the major turning points in South Africa's ultimately doomed chase.

The decision to retire, though, had been on the cards for a while now. He was overlooked for Cricket South Africa's central contracts in April. Klassen had been on a white-ball only contract until then, having retired from Test cricket in January 2024.

At the time, both David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen accepted hybrid contracts which allows them to play in ICC events and agreed-upon bilateral tours. Of Klassen, CSA had said in a statement only that "discussions regarding his future are ongoing and a final decision will be made in due course."

Klaasen's decision was also inevitable given Shukri Conrad's plans for the national side. Announced as South Africa's white-ball coach last month, Conrad made it clear that playing for South Africa would be the priority over T20 leagues in his tenure and committed to putting the best South African team forward in all their games.

South Africa have a busy schedule coming up across formats, including several white-ball commitments through July, August and September. Those series clash with a number of leagues, including Major League Cricket (MLC), the Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). As one of South Africa's most sought-after players on the T20 franchise circuit, Klaasen is signed up for the MLC and the Hundred (for the Seattle Orcas and Manchester Originals respectively).

Conrad was expected to talk to players who were not given central contracts, including Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi as well but he was very clear when taking over about his selection criteria: "All our players must be available for selection. If they make themselves unavailable for selection, well, that's a decision that they've made and the path that they've chosen." He was especially keen to avoid situations where players do not feature in bilaterals but are parachuted in for an ICC event or one where a severely under-strength national squad has to take the field.

"It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket," Klassen said in a statement. "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.

"To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career. I look forward to spending more time with my family as this decision will allow me to do so."

Enoch Nkwe, CSA's director of national teams and high performance, said they respected Klaasen's decision. "Heinrich has been a true match-winner for South Africa. He was a player capable of changing the course of a game in a matter of overs," he said. "His commitment and impact in the white-ball formats have been immense, and we thank him for his outstanding service to South African cricket.

"He has been transparent with Cricket South Africa throughout the past few months, and we fully respect his decision to retire from international cricket. We wish him continued success in the next chapter of his journey."