“Make T20 cricket a short-term priority” given the two World Cups, he says
Faf du Plessis, the former South African captain, has retired from Test cricket after 69 appearances in the format. With no test cricket in the immediate future for South Africa, du Plessis wants to “enter a new chapter” and focus his energies and attention primarily on T20 cricket, keeping in mind the two World Cups scheduled for 2021 and 2022.
“It has been a year of refinement on fire for all of us. Uncertain were the times, but they brought me clarity in many respects. My heart is clear and it is the right time to enter a new chapter. It has been an honor to play. for my country in all formats of the game, but the time has come to withdraw from Test cricket, “said du Plessis in a statement posted on his Instagram account.” If someone had told me 15 years ago, that I would play 69 matches of Test for South Africa and would be the captain of the team, I would not have believed it.
“I am in a place of utmost gratitude for a blessed trial run bestowed on me. Every high and low has made me the man I am proud to defend today. In all things, those cases worked for the good who I think I am today. “
du Plessis, now 36, made his test debut in Adelaide on the 2012-13 South Africa tour, and was named Man of the Match for his 78 and 110 non in a memorable draw – du Plessis’s plugging helped South Africa to beat four and a half sessions on a court of attrition. He continued to hit ten centuries and 21 half centuries in Tests, finishing with 4163 races at an average of 40.02.
“The next two years are the ICC T20 World Cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can be.”
Faf du Plessis
He became the captain of the trials, succeeding AB de Villiers, in 2016, and led South Africa in 36 trials, before resigning in February 2020 after the home series against England, which South Africa lost 3-1. du Plessis finished with a decent test captaincy record, with 18 wins and 15 losses, the losses piling up further towards the latter part of his term after South Africa won 17 of the first 27 tests he had led. Between the beginning of 2019 and the end of his term, South Africa lost eight Tests, a streak that began with a 2-0 home loss to Sri Lanka in February 2019.
du Plessis, a 143 ODI and 50 T20I veteran, will continue to be available for selection in both limited overs formats, and has said he is looking forward to being a part of the action at the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held later this year in India.
“The next two years are the ICC T20 World Cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can be,” he He said. “I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer the Proteas in this format. This does not mean that ODI cricket is no longer on the agenda, I am just making T20 cricket the priority in the short term.
“I will be chatting with CSA over the next several months about what the future will be like for me over the next year to find a solution that works for both of us.”
More to follow …
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