Dean Elgar retires from international cricket.
Dean Elgar retires from international cricket
Elgar represented South Africa in 84 Tests and eight One-Day Internationals during a career that has spanned 12 years.
Dean Elgar retires from international cricket.
Proteas Test batter Dean Elgar this week announced that he will retire from international cricket.
The 36-year-old veteran will call it a day after the Betway Test series against India.
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Elgar will fittingly end his international career with the two Test matches – the first to be played at his home ground, SuperSport Park, in Centurion from 26 – 30 December and the second at the venue where he scored his first Test runs, Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, from 03 – 07 January.
Elgar represented South Africa in 84 Tests and eight One-Day Internationals during a career that has spanned 12 years.
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Since making his Test debut against Australia in 2012, he has gone on to score over 5000 runs at an average of 37.28, including 13 centuries and a career-best 199 against Bangladesh in 2017.
Proteas opener Dean Elgar call is it a day
His contributions with the bat and gritty performances earned him the role of Test captain from May 2021 – January 2023, where he led the side to third place in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship with a notable 2-1 series win over India at home in January 2022.
“Playing the game of cricket has always been a dream of mine but having the opportunity to represent your country is the ultimate! Having had the privilege to do it for 12 years internationally is simply beyond my wildest dreams. It has been an incredible journey that I have been fortunate enough to have,” Elgar said.
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“As they say, ‘all good things come to an end’, and the Indian home series will be my last, as I have made the decision to retire from our beautiful game. A game that has given me so much. The Cape Town Test will be my last. My favourite stadium in the world. A place I scored my first Test run against New Zealand and hopefully my last too.
“Having the opportunity to represent my country and the learnings I’ve had along my journey is something I’ll always be thankful for. It’s most definitely been the best learning experience of my life,” Elgar added.
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Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe also thanked the former Proteas test skipper for his contributions.
“Dean Elgar represents a rare brand of cricketer in an age where everything is about innovation and power-hitting. He is a real old-school cricketer that can dig in, absorb and fight. I have no doubt the game will dearly miss him. He has always given everything for his country and never showed any fear, no matter the opposition. He was always there to take on the challenge, leading as captain when the country needed him most.
“Thank you Dean for all the memories.”
