Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Monday that South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius had declared his immediate retirement from international play.
The 33-year-old has played for South Africa in all three forms since making his international debut in 2016: 30 T20 Internationals, 27 ODIs, and 3 Tests. He was a member of the teams for both the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
"A few days ago, I made one of the toughest decisions of my cricketing career. I have decided to retire from all forms of international cricket. Growing up, my only goal in life was to play for the Proteas. I didn't know how it was going to happen, but God gave me talent and a serious will to succeed. The rest was in his hands. I am shifting my focus to T20 and other shorter formats for the rest of my career," Pretorius said in a statement.
"Being a free agent will help me achieve the goal of being the best short format player I can be. By doing this, I will be able to have a better balance in my career and family life."
Throughout his international adventure, Pretorius acknowledged all of his teammates, saying, "All the guys I've played with and against over the years, you've had an impact on my career. There are so many players who had an impact that it is quite tough to single out just one or two.
Faf Du Plessis deserves special recognition because he helped me improve as a player and welcomed me back after the first time I was let go from the international team.
"I leave the Proteas team knowing that every time I stepped on to the field, I gave everything I had in me. From playing with broken toes, fingers and torn muscles, to carrying drinks, team meetings and helping other players wherever I could. It has been a blast."
In the international setting, Pretorius demonstrated his skill with both the bat and the ball, amassing 1895 runs and taking 77 wickets across forms.
At a T20 match against Pakistan in Lahore in 2021, he had his best performance to date. It was his first and only five-wicket haul in international cricket. His 5/17 statistics are now the best for a South African player in men's T20 Internationals.
He went on to take nine wickets and finished as South Africa's joint-highest wicket-taker at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE.
"We appreciate Dwaine's contributions to South African cricket. He has always worn the Proteas shirt with the highest pride, tenacity, and passion, putting everything on the line for the badge. His excellence will undoubtedly be missed, and his all-around skill increased his worth as a player. Dwaine, good luck with the next phase of your career "Enoch Nkwe, the CSA director of cricket, stated.
The all-around player has participated in competitions all around the world, including as the Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred, and Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pretorius, who has retired from international competition, will be playing for Durban Super Giants in the inaugural SA20 tournament, which begins on Tuesday.