Heinrich Klaasen retires from international cricket
The 33-year-old said he would be stepping away from the white-ball formats, which follows his retirement from red-ball cricket in 2024.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on May 25, 2025. Picture: Money SHARMA / AFP.
JOHANNESBURG – Proteas wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen on Monday announced his retirement from international cricket.
The 33-year-old said he would be stepping away from the white-ball formats, which follows his retirement from red-ball cricket in 2024.
“Heinrich has been a true match-winner for South Africa. He was a player capable of changing the course of a game in a matter of overs. His commitment and impact in the white-ball formats have been immense, and we thank him for his outstanding service to South African cricket.
“He has been transparent with Cricket South Africa throughout the past few months, and we fully respect his decision to retire from international cricket. We wish him continued success in the next chapter of his journey” said Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe.
Klaasen played 122 matches for South Africa across all three formats since making his debut in 2018.
The cricketer known for his explosive hitting in the middle to lower order, Klaasen scored four One-Day International centuries and 11 fifties.
In T20Is, Klaasen scored five half-centuries with a top score of 72.
“Heinrich has been a fantastic ambassador for South African cricket, both on and off the field. His performances in the green and gold have brought joy to many South Africans, and his legacy will undoubtedly inspire the next generation.
We thank him for his contributions over the years and wish him everything of the best for the future” said CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki.
Klaasen made the announcement on his Instagram page, which read:
“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. I have made great friendships and relationships that I will treasure for life. Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet great people that changed my life, and to those people I can’t say thank you enough. My road to wearing the Proteas shirt was different than most and there were certain coaches in my career that kept believing in me – to them I will always be grateful.
To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career. I look forward to spending more time with my family as this decision will allow me to do so. I will always be a big Proteas supporter and would like to thank everyone that supported me and my teammates during my career.”
Klaasen's retirement from all forms of international cricket at the age of 33 comes ahead of Proteas’ co-hosting duties for the 2027 ICC World Cup, where he was expected to be a key player.