South Africa’s batsman AB de Villiers celebrates scoring a century during day three of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Australia at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on March 11, 2018.
South Africa’s batsman AB de Villiers celebrates scoring a century during day three of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Australia at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on March 11, 2018.
In a somewhat surprising move, AB de Villiers has confirmed that he will no longer play international cricket at any level.
The 34-year-old has decided to step down from his responsibilities as a Proteas player. He will still continue to play the game in domestic competitions, however.
Watch AB de Villiers announce his retirement here:
I’ve made a big decision today pic.twitter.com/In0jyquPOK
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 23, 2018
Why has de Villiers retired from international cricket?
In the 90-second video, the former Proteas captain explains his reasons for calling it a day. He claims that “tiredness” is a factor in his decision and feels it would be unfair to “pick and choose” when he can play for the national team:
“I want to let you know I’ve decided to retire from all international cricket. It’s time for others to take over, I’ve had my turn and honestly, I’m tired. It’s a tough decision, but I want to retire when I’m playing my best cricket.”
“It wouldn’t be right to pick and choose when I play for the Proteas. It has to be ‘everything or nothing’. This isn’t about earning more elsewhere, it’s about running out of gas and I feel that’s it time to move on. Everything comes to an end.”
De Villiers also thanked his teammates, coaches, Cricket SA staff and the fans for supporting his career at the very top, ever since he made his debut 14 years ago.
AB de Villiers career for South Africa
De Villiers bows out of international cricket as one of the greatest players to have represented South Africa, having played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 78 T20 Internationals. He also notched nine wickets as a bowler.
He currently represents Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Last week, he made global headlines with a gravity-defying catch, showing that AB is still very much a spring chicken at heart.
Never shy of being in the limelight, de Villiers also had cause for celebration on Wednesday morning, as ESPN named him as one of the top 100 athletes in the world.
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