Faf du Plessis has announced retirement from Test cricket to focus soley on T20 cricket, the format which has two upcoming World Cups in 2021 and 2022. The South African great announced his decision on his Instagram account on Wednesday.
Former South African test captain said, “I stand in a place of utmost gratitude for a Test career full of blessings bestowed on me. Every high and low has shaped me into the man I am proud to stand up as today. In all things, those instances worked towards the good of who I believe I am today.”
Faf du Plessis made his Test debut in Adelaide during South Africa’s 2012-13 tour of Australia, where he was named the Player of the Match. In 2016, he was appointed as the captain of the Test team. He led South Africa in 36 matches before stepping down in February 2020. As a captain, he has a record of 18 wins and 15 losses in the format.
In the 69 Test matches, du Plessis scored 4163 runs with an average of 40.02. He has 10 centuries and 21 half-centuries to his name in the longest format of the cricket. His highest score to date came last year when he scored 199 against Sri Lanka.
The 36-year-old batsman could have played a farewell match during South Africa’s home series against Australia. Since that series has been postponed indefinitely, and there are no Test matches in the immediate future for the team, his career in the longest format of cricket came to an abrupt end.
However, he is keen to continue his career in the limited-overs formats. He said, “The next two years are ICC T20 World Cup years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much of it as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can possibly be. I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer to the Proteas in this format. This does not mean that ODI cricket is no longer in the plans, I’m just making T20 cricket the priority in the short-term.”
Despite his shift of focus to the T20 format, du Plessis is not playing in the upcoming South African domestic T20 tournament that is set to start on Friday. However, he is scheduled to play in this year’s IPL as he has been retained by Chennai Super Kings.