Dean Elgar to retire from international cricket after Test series against India

Johannesburg, Dec 22 (IANS) South Africa Test batter Dean Elgar has announced that he will retire from international cricket following the Test series against India, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Friday.

The former skipper will end his international career with the two Test matches -- the first to be played at his home ground, SuperSport Park, in Centurion from December 26 to 30 and the second at the venue where he scored his first Test runs, Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, from January 3 to 7.

The 36-year-old has represented South Africa in 84 Tests and eight ODIs during a career that has spanned 12 years.

Since making his Test debut against Australia in 2012, Elgar scored over 5000 runs at an average of 37.28, including 13 centuries and a career-best 199 against Bangladesh in 2017.

"Playing the game of cricket has always been a dream of mine but having the opportunity to represent your country is the ultimate! Having had the privilege to do it for 12 years internationally is simply beyond my wildest dreams. It has been an incredible journey that I have been fortunate enough to have," Elgar said in a statement.

"As they say, ‘all good things come to an end’, and the Indian home series will be my last, as I have made the decision to retire from our beautiful game. A game that has given me so much. The Cape Town Test will be my last. My favourite stadium in the world. A place I scored my first Test run against New Zealand and hopefully my last too," he added.

His contributions with the bat and gritty performances earned him the role of Test captain from May 2021 – January 2023, where he led the side to third place in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship with a notable 2-1 series win over India at home in January 2022.

CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki commented: "We would like to thank Dean for his services over the years. He has represented his country with honour and has been a real ambassador for Cricket South Africa, always playing with his heart on his sleeve. His grittiness and determination are two qualities that really stood out; and these are attributes that all South Africans can relate to."