Mon Jun 02 10:05:03 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Headline: South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen Retires From International Cricket**
**Johannesburg, South Africa** – South African wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. The 33-year-old made the announcement on Monday via his Instagram account, citing a desire to spend more time with his family as the primary reason for his decision.
“It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket,” Klaasen wrote. “It took me a long time to decide what’s best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with.”
Klaasen had previously retired from Test cricket, where he played just four matches, to focus on white-ball formats. His last international appearance was in the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to New Zealand.
He made his international debut in 2018 and went on to represent South Africa in 60 ODIs and 58 T20Is, scoring 2141 and 1000 runs respectively. He notched up four centuries and 11 half-centuries in ODIs, and five half-centuries in T20Is. Known for his aggressive hitting and ability to clear the boundary, Klaasen was a key member of the South African team that finished as runners-up in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.
“From the first day, it was the biggest privilege representing my country and it was everything that I have worked for and dreamed about as a young boy,” Klaasen said. “To have played with the Proteas badge on my chest was and will always be the biggest honour in my career.”
Klaasen also expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaches, and supporters throughout his career, adding “Playing for the Proteas gave me the opportunity to meet great people that changed my life, and to those people I can’t say thank you enough.”
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