South Africa opener Dean Elgar confirmed today that he will retire from international cricket following the Test series against India.
The former Test captain will conclude his career with two test matches, the first at his home field of SuperSport Park in Centurion from December 26 to 30, and the second at Newlands Cricket field in Cape Town from January 3 to 7.
During his 12-year career, the 36-year-old has played 84 Tests and eight One-Day Internationals for South Africa.
The southpaw has scored over 5000 runs in Tests at an average of 37.28 since making his debut in 2012 against Australia.
Elgar said: “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.”
“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,” he added.
“We would like to thank Dean for his services over the years,” said Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki. He has proudly represented his country and served as a true ambassador for Cricket South Africa, always playing with his heart on his sleeve. His grit and determination stood out, and these are characteristics that all South Africans can identify with.”