Heinrich Klaasen opens on retirement: ‘I felt for a long time that I didn't really care about any of my performances…That's the wrong place to be'
Earlier in the month, South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen announced his retirement from the white-ball format after hanging up his boots in 2023. However, his retirement, similar to red-ball cricket, did come as a bit of a surprise in this format of the game. According to Klaasen himself, he did have plans to participate in the 2027 World Cup, but the sudden resignation of white-ball coach Rob Walter has put him in a dilemma.
'I felt for a long time that I didn't really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That's the wrong place to be. I had a long conversation with Rob [Walter] before the Champions Trophy, and I told him I didn't feel good in my heart about what was going on. I wasn't enjoying it that much,' said Klaasen to Raport as quoted by Wisden.
'We talked nicely, we planned everything nicely up to and including the World Cup in 2027. So when he finished as coach and the [contract] negotiations [with CSA] didn't go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier,' Klaasen added.
Klaasen, who was recently in action for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025 season, wrote on Instagram: 'It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket. It took me a long time to decide what's best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with.'
'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,' the 33-year-old Klaasen added.
The hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter represented South Africa in all three formats across 102 appearances – 4 Tests, 60 ODIs and 58 T20Is. Aggregating all four of his international centuries in ODIs, Klaasen piled up 3145 runs since his debut in 2018.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Kylian Mbappe Sends France Past Germany To Claim Nations League Bronze
Kylian Mbappe bagged a goal and an assist as France beat Germany 2-0 in the Nations League bronze-medal match in Stuttgart on Sunday. Mbappe wove his magic in a heavily changed France squad. Germany dominated the opening half but Mbappe provided the breakthrough just before half-time, carving a shot through a crowded penalty box to bring up his 50th goal in France colours. Late in the second, with the hosts desperately looking for an equaliser, Mbappe snatched a poor Germany pass on the half-way line and rampaged forward, before setting up Michael Olise. The French showed their incredible depth, while Mbappe again demonstrated his finishing and pace. For Germany, who lost two straight straight matches for the first time since 2023, questions remain over how much they have truly improved under Julian Nagelsmann. In the lead-up to Sunday's encounter, France coach Didier Deschamps admitted the Nations League clash with old rivals Germany "isn't the most important game for us," with a clear focus on next year's World Cup. Deschamps made eight changes from the semi-final loss to Spain, with only captain Mbappe, goalie Mike Maignan and midfield veteran Adrien Rabiot keeping their starting spots. Nagelsmann also rotated heavily, making four changes including bringing striker Niclas Fuellkrug back into the starting XI. The Germans had a wealth of chances in the opening half. Karim Adeyemi won a penalty but it was overturned by VAR for diving with. Florian Wirtz hit the post. Mbappe struck just before half-time. The Real Madrid man collected a pass which floated over the 1.77-metre tall Joshua Kimmich's head, took a touch and hammered a shot home with his preferred right foot. Nagelsmann replaced rookie striker Nick Woltemade with Deniz Undav at half-time. The move seemed to have paid immediate dividends Undavhad the ball in the net, but his effort was chalked off for a foul in the build-up by Fuellkrug. Germany dominated possession and field position, but that left them vulnerable on the break to France's lightning-fast forwards, led by Mbappe. Marcus Thuram hit the post on 58 minutes. Then Mbappe and substitute Olise, who plays in Germany for Bayern Munich, combined to seal the match for France. The French captain pounced on a poor Robin Koch clearance on the half-way line and ran goalwards, squaring for the onrushing Olise to tap home with six minutes remaining. Later on Sunday, reigning Nations League and Euros champions Spain face Portugal in Munich to decide this year's crown.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'Shreyas Iyer Should've Slapped Me, I Was...': Shashank Singh Admits Runout Error
Last Updated: Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh has admitted that Shreyas Iyer 'should have slapped him' for his casual running between the wickets against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Punjab Kings (PBKS)'s vice-captain Shashank Singh said on Sunday that he deserved not only to be shouted at but also a slap from skipper Shreyas Iyer for his 'casual' running between the wickets against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the second Qualifier of IPL 2025. He also revealed that Shreyas took him out to dinner afterwards. Shreyas led PBKS' stellar chase in the knockout match, scoring an unbeaten 87 off 41 to help chase a record 204 against MI. But the win became more difficult for him to achieve than it should have been when Shashank got run out for 2 in the 17th over by being lethargic off the blocks and not putting his best effort. In the post-match handshakes, Shreyas was seen hurling abuses at Shashank, which led to severe criticism of him on social media. 'I deserve it, Iyer should have slapped me, my father didn't speak to me till the finals," Shashank told The Indian Express. 'I was casual, I was walking on the beach not even in the garden. It was a crucial time, Shreyas was clear that I didn't expect this from you but later he took me out for dinner," he added. PBKS qualified for the final by beating MI but couldn't win their first title, losing to Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final in Ahmedabad. 'Whatever I have spoken to others and seen, there is no better captain than him in current times in world cricket. He gives us freedom, he treats everyone equally. No one will say, Shreyas has an attitude. The youngsters in the dressing room find him to be a chill bandaa. Shreyas is the only captain, who has told us that if anyone has any suggestion during the game, he can come and convey it to him. If he feels it's the right advice, he will take it. It's rare," Shashank said. He finished the season as the second-highest scorer for PBKS with 341 runs and a strike rate of 153. First Published:
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Italy fires Spalletti amid prospects of not qualifying for 3rd straight WC
The fear that four-time champion Italy will fail to qualify for a third straight World Cup has cost coach Luciano Spalletti his job. Spalletti announced Sunday that he is being fired and will leave after Monday's World Cup qualifier against Moldova. The move comes two days after Italy lost 3-0 at Norway in its opening qualifier. "Last night I had a conversation with the president (Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina) and he told me that I would be fired," Spalletti said in a pre-match news conference at Italy's training center. "I didn't have any intention on (leaving) and I would have preferred to stay on. But it's a sacking and I realize that." Claudio Ranieri, who just concluded a successful season at Roma but had said he was retiring from coaching, is reportedly the federation's top choice to replace Spalletti. But the federation did not immediately name a replacement and after the Moldova game, Italy doesn't play again until September. Spalletti was hired in August 2023 when Roberto Mancini unexpectedly left to take over Saudi Arabia's national team. Spalletti was given a three-year contract through the 2026 World Cup. Spalletti's first major tournament ended with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the round of 16 of last year's European Championship. Then Italy was eliminated from the Nations League quarterfinals after conceding an embarrassing goal to Germany earlier this year which meant that the Azzurri entered a five-team World Cup qualifying group featuring Erling Haaland's Norway instead of a four-team group in which the highest-ranked nation is Slovakia. Winning the group is the only way to ensure direct qualification to next year's tournament in North America. The second-placed team goes into the playoffs, the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. Having started qualifying late, Italy has zero points and trails group leader Norway by nine points. What's more, key defender Francesco Acerbi the center back who was supposed to mark Haaland turned down the callup for the Norway and Moldova matches. I've always taken on this job as a service to the nation and I will do everything I can to help the future of the national team, Spalletti said. I'll come to a contract resolution after tomorrow night. I had all the support possible concerning the choices I wanted to make. But the results didn't come.
