Cape Town: South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis on Wednesday announced his retirement from Test cricket. He took to his official Instagram account to confirm his decision.
“My heart is clear and the time is right to walk into a new chapter,” the former South Africa captain wrote in a post on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLYYrqHlrjf/
Du Plessis further said that he has taken the decision to retire from the longest format of the game to focus on the upcoming editions of the T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022.
“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.”
Du Plessis had made his bow in Test cricket back in November 2012 against Australia and played his last match in the purest format of the game against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Overall in the format, Du Plessis had scored 4,163 runs at an average of 40.02 with 10 centuries and 21 half-centuries to his name.
