Faf du Plessis announces retirement from Test cricket


Faf du Plessis announces retirement from Test cricket

Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis

Legendary South African player Faf du Plessis announced retirement from the Test cricket on Wednesday. The star batsman had played 69 Test matches for his country and scored over 4,000 runs in the format.

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The decision of his retirement came after South Africa faced a crushing defeat on their tour to Pakistan where the visitors were clean-swept in 2 Tests and 3 T20I’s.

Though the 36-year-old didn’t feature in the T20I series, Plessis failed miserably in the Test matches on their just-concluded tour to Pakistan.

“My heart is clear and time is right to walk into a new chapter,” he wrote in his retirement post on Instagram

Faf du Plessis Instagram Post

“It has been a year of refinement in the fire for us all. Uncertain were the times, but they brought clarity for me in many respects. My heart is clear and the time is right to walk Into a new chapter. It has been an honour to play for my country in all the formats of the game, but the time has come for me to retire from Test cricket,” du Plessis wrote in his retirement statement.

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“If someone had told me 15 years ago, that I would play 69 Test matches for South Africa and captain the side, I wouldn’t have believed them. I stand in a place of utmost gratitude for a test coreer full of blessings bestowed on me. Every high and low has shaped me into the man I am proud to stand as today. In all things, those instances worked towards the good of who I believe I am today.”

“The next two years are ICC T20 World cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much of it as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can possibly be. I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer to the Proteas in this format. This does not mean that ODI cricket is no longer in the plans, I’m just making T20 cricket the priority in the short-term,” wrote du Plessis.

“I will be in conversation with CSA over the next couple of months on what the future might look like for me over the next year to find a solution that works for both of us

“For now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who had an influence on my Test career. I would like to single out my wife and family in particular – I would not have been able to do without their support during the unforgettable journey that Test cricket has taken me on, To my coaches, teammates and support staff over the years, I would you like to give a note of thanks and of course, to Cricket South Africa for the opportunity to be able to represent and lead my country in the pinnacle of the game we all love. It has been an incredible journey, with many stories that I look forward to one day sharing.”

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The batting great debuted in the Test cricket for South Africa in November 2012 against Australia in Adelaide. His last match in the longest format of the game was against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

In the two Test matches he played against Pakistan he scored a barrage of low scores– 10, 23, 17 and 5 in his Test series.

Overall, the right-handed batsman scored 4,163 runs at an average of 40.02. His Test career encompassed over eight years where he clinched 10 hundreds and 21 fifties under his belt.

Plessis had captained South Africa on some occasions. His highest score of 199 came against Sri Lanka at Centurion in December 2020.

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