Kallis announces retirement from International Cricket

However, South African batsmen will continue to play T20 franchise cricket for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and for Sydney Thunder in the BBL.

Kallis in a statement said “I realised in Sri Lanka that my dream of playing in a World Cup was a bridge too far,”

“I just knew on that tour that I was done. The squad that was in Sri Lanka is an amazing one and I believe they have a good chance of bringing the trophy home in March”, he added.

Kallis also thanked Cricket South Africa (CSA), the team,sponsors (including team and his own), the fans and all the people who have been involved in his career.

He termed his career as an ‘Amazing Journey’.

The one of the finest all-rounder of cricket history ends his ODI career with 11579 runs in 328 matches with 17 centuries and 86 fifties at an average of 44.36. He played 25 T20s, scoring 666 runs with five fifties. Kallis is the only South African batsman with over 10,000 runs in Tests and ODIs.

Acknowledging Kallis’ services, CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said “South Africa has been blessed with one of the world’s greatest cricketing talents in Jacques Kallis.

“He is undeniably one of the greatest players ever to have graced our wonderful game and he has certainly been the Proteas standard-bearer of excellence for nearly two decades”, he added.