Dwaine Pretorius, a former all-rounder for South Africa, has announced his retirement from international cricket. In a statement released by Cricket South Africa (CSA), Pretorius cited his desire to focus on T20 and other shorter forms of the game for the remainder of his career as the reason for his decision.
As a free agent, Pretorius will have the opportunity to pursue his goal of becoming the best T20 player he can be. He also mentioned that by retiring from international cricket, he will be able to better balance his professional and family obligations.
Pretorius expressed gratitude to his former captain, Faf Du Plessis, for his support during Pretorius’ time with the national team. He also thanked his coaches, Neil McKenzie, Stephen Cook, Chris Morris, Nicky van den Bergh, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Rassie van Der Dussen, and Hardus Viljoen for their guidance and mentorship.
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In his retirement statement, Pretorius reflected on his career with the national team, saying, “Growing up, I always dreamed of playing for South Africa, and I am grateful to God for giving me the talent to do so. From playing with broken fingers and torn muscles to carrying drinks and helping other players, it has been a blast. Thank you to my fans for making it extra special for me.”
During his time with the national team, Pretorius represented South Africa in 30 T20Is, 27 ODIs, and 3 Test matches, claiming 77 wickets across all three formats. He holds the record for South Africa’s best T20I bowling stats, with figures of 5 for 17 against Pakistan. He also boasts a strike rate of 164 and 261 runs in 17 T20I innings.
Although Pretorius missed the recent T20 World Cup due to injury, fans can expect to see him in action in leagues such as the SA20, the Indian Premier League for the Chennai Super Kings, and the Hundred for Welsh Fire.
