South Africa’s Klaasen retires from Test cricket

South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from Test cricket.

Klaasen, who is a regular member in white-ball formats for the Proteas but never quite sealed his position in the red-ball format, announced his retirement in a statement.

"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," Klaasen said in the statement.

"The battles that I faced on and off the field have made me the cricketer I am today. It has been a great journey and I am glad I could have represented my country. My baggy Test cap is the most precious cap I have ever been handed," he added.

Although, Klaasen didn't give any specific reason behind his retirement , the dwindling number of Test matches scheduled for the Proteas in the next few years and his own commitments in multiple franchise T20 leagues across the world might've affected his decision.

The 32-year-old had a brief career in Tests, having played only four Tests after earning his debut in 2019.

He wasn't a part of the South Africa squad that took on India at home recently but Proteas coach Shukri Conrad had hinted that Klaasen would've returned to the Test team for their tour of the West Indies and Bangladesh later this year.