AB de Villiers: retires from international cricket

Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers said he had “run out of gas” as he announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 34-year-old has played in 114 Test matches, 228 one-day internationals and 78 Twenty20 matches for the Proteas.

He took time away from Test cricket in 2017, missing the series against England that summer, but returned to the red-ball side in December.

“I’ve had my turn and, to be honest, I’m tired,” he said.

“This is a tough decision. I’ve thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire still playing decent cricket.

“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 green and gold, it must be everything or nothing.”

‘One of the all-time greats’

De Villiers’ records and statistics are a true measure of the skill and brilliance he brought to the crease. He holds a phenomenal number of milestones to his name; the World Record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls) and 150 (64 balls), the second highest individual Test score for South Africa (278*), the highest points (935) by a South African on the ICC Test rankings and has claimed the coveted SA Cricketer of the Year award twice (2014 and 2015).

He retires with an incredible Test average of 50.66 and as the fourth-highest run-scorer for South Africa with 8 765 runs (22 centuries). His exploits in the limited-overs formats have been extraordinary, and he finishes as the No 2 ranked player in the world and as the second highest run-scorer behind Jacques Kallis with 9 577 runs at an average of 53.50.