South African cricketer AB de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket with immediate effect. The 34-year-old cricketing genius broke the news with a video he posted on his Twitter account.
The announcement comes as a shock to the whole cricketing fraternity, with the World Cup coming up next year. But a ‘tired’ de Villiers believes it is the right time to step down and give others an opportunity.
“After 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired,” de Villiers said in the Twitter video.
Popularly known as Mr. 360 for his ability to hit in all directions of the ground, he had another stellar IPL season, scoring 480 runs in 11 innings with a strike rate of 174.
And while he acknowledged that he was in decent form, he made it clear that he was sure of his decision and that it is the ‘right’ time to retire.
“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.”
It was speculated since last year that he might retire from Test cricket and focus more on limited-overs cricket. But retirement from all forms is something us fans didn’t see coming. ABD, however, thinks otherwise. For him, it’s about everything or nothing.
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“It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me, in the green and gold, it must be everything or nothing.”
He thanked his coaches, teammates and the South African board for all their support throughout his career.
“I will always be grateful to the coaches and staff of Cricket South Africa for their support through all these years. The most important thank you goes out to all of my teammates throughout my career, I wouldn’t be half the player that I am without the support throughout the years.”
De Villiers is known to be a fan favorite, with his variety of shots and strokeplay spreading joy across the cricketing world. For all their love and support in a career that spread over 14 years, he didn’t forget to thank his fans.
“To the cricket fans around South Africa and the World, thank you for your kindness and generosity, and today, for your understanding.”
He also ruled out the possibility of playing somewhere else overseas.
“I have no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket. I will continue to be the biggest supporter of Faf du Plessis and the Proteas.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: CricBuzz, ESPN Cricinfo + more
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