The prolific cricketer made his debut for South Africa in 2004 and played 123 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is.
AB de Villiers (Photo: AFP)
In a decision that shocked the cricketing world, South African batsman AB de Villiers announced his decision to retire from international cricket with immediate effect.
The 34-year-old batsman took to Twitter to announce his retirement from International cricket through a video he posted on his account.
“I’ve decided to retire from all international cricket with immediate effect. After 114 Test matches, 228 One Day Internationals and 78 T20 Internationals it is time for others to take over,” de Villiers said.
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I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 23, 2018
“I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired. This is a tough decision. I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside,” he said.
“It would not be right for me to pick and choose where and when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me in green and gold it must be everything or nothing,” he added.
In an emotional message, de Villiers said, “It’s not about earning more somewhere else, it’s about running out of gas and feeling that it is the right time to move on. Everything comes to an end. To the cricket fans around South Africa and the World, thank you for your kindness and generosity, and today, for your understanding.”
He retired with an excellent Test average of 50.66 and as the fourth-highest run-scorer for South Africa with 8765 runs (22 centuries). In the limited-overs formats, de Villiers ended his career as the No. 2 ranked player in the world and as the second highest run-scorer for South Africa after Jacques Kallis with 9577 runs at an average of 53.50.
The prolific cricketer made his debut for South Africa in 2004 and played 123 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is.
In the ongoing IPL 2018, where he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), de Villiers was in great form and scored 480 runs from 12 games at an average of 53.33.
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