The wicketkeeper’s last Test was in March 2023 against the West Indies where he made 17 and 14, ending the series with 56 runs across four innings with a high score of 20. Klaasen was picked for the series in Australia in January earlier after a gap of four years but could leave little impact with 35 and 20 in Sydney.

Klaasen’s first Test appearance was in 2019 against India in Ranchi but a score of 11 runs in the game saw him being dropped from the squad. He ends his Test career with 104 runs at an average of 13.

The 32-year-old played in 85 first-class matches and averaged 46.09 with 12 centuries and 24 fifties. Klaasen will continue playing white-ball cricket for South Africa, having been more successful in ODIs and T20Is. He averages 40.06 in 50-over cricket and has a strike rate of 147.64 after 43 T20Is.

[caption id=”attachment_599493″ align=”alignnone” width=”1024″] Klaasen retires from Tests without a fifty-plus score to his name.[/caption]

In a statement announcing his retirement, Klaasen said, “After a few sleepless nights wondering if I am making the right decision, I have decided to retire from red-ball cricket. It’s a difficult decision that I have made because it is by far my favourite format of the game.

“The battles that I faced on and off the field have made me the cricketer I am today. It has been a great journey and I am glad I could have represented my country. My baggy Test cap is the most precious cap I have ever been handed.”

Klaasen didn’t explicitly mention why he was retiring from Test cricket. One of the most in-demand players in white-ball cricket around the globe, Klaasen has contracts in various franchise leagues, which might have been a factor behind this decision.

Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.