Why did South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen quit international cricket at 33?

South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen retires from international cricket at 33 to spend more time with his family.

South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. The 33-year-old made the shocking decision public on Monday through a heartfelt message on social media, citing family as the key reason behind his departure.

The 33-year-old Klaasen had retired from Test cricket in January last year and has now chosen to step away from white-ball formats as well, having represented the Proteas in 4 Tests, 60 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, amassing a total of 2,764 runs. His final appearance for the Proteas was during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand in March of this year, where he scored three runs off seven balls before South Africa suffered a 50-run defeat.

“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket,” Klaasen wrote on Instagram. He revealed that the choice was carefully considered. “It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future,” he added.

“It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with,” he added.

Reason Behind Klaasen's Shock Retirement Decision

Klaasen emphasized his desire to spend more time with his loved ones, stating, “I look forward to spending more time with my family, as this decision will allow me to do so.”

One of the most sought-after batters in T20 leagues, Klaasen recently played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where he scored a century in the final league match. Later this month, he is set to join the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in the United States.

Having featured in the T20 World Cup final against India, Klaasen described representing the national team as his "biggest privilege."

“From the first day, it was the biggest privilege representing my country and it was everything that I have worked for and dreamed about as a young boy," he said.

Klaasen Cherishes Honour Of Wearing Porteas Badge

Klaasen also fondly recalled the friendships he formed on the same day that fellow white-ball specialist Glenn Maxwell announced his ODI retirement.

I have made great friendships and relationships that I will treasure for life. Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet great people that changed my life, and to those people I can’t say thank you enough. My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different than most and there were certain coaches in my career that kept believing in me - to them I will always be grateful. To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career,” Klaasen said in his Instagram post.

“I will always be a big Proteas supporter and would like to thank everyone that supported me and my teammates during my career,” he concluded.