Gary Kirsten, South Africa’s highest ever Test run-scorer, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the current tour of New Zealand.
Kirsten, who will play his 100th Test this week after scoring his 21st century in the first Test against New Zealand, said it was ”a sad and emotional moment”.
”I have been extremely fortunate to have the privilege of playing for my country for so long. It has always been a massive honour to play for South Africa and I have enjoyed every moment of my career,” he said in a statement on the United Cricket Board (UCB) of South Africa website (cricket.co.za).
He added: ”I was lucky enough to play with and against some wonderful cricketers, and I take many great memories with me.”
Kirsten (36) will formally retire after the third and final test of the New Zealand tour which is due to end on March 30. He has not made a decision on whether to quit domestic first-class cricket.
He had been expected to retire after last year’s tour of England but he was persuaded by South African officials to play on.
”My wife Deborah and I had made a decision that when our first child arrived I would retire, but with Joshua now nearly four months old it has overlapped a little,” he explained.
Of the current batsmen, only India’s Sachin Tendulkar and West Indian Brian Lara have scored more runs.
Since making his debut in the 1993-94 Australia tour, Kirsten has scored 7 210 Test runs at an average of 45,92 and was the first man to score a Test century against all nine Test playing nations.
With Daryll Cullinan, he shares the record for the highest Test score by a South African — a mammoth 14,5-hour 275 against England. He also played 185 one-day internationals, scoring 6 798 runs at an average of 40,95.
A left-hander, Kirsten will be remembered more for his dogged determination and concentration rather than his flair.
United Cricket Board of South African chief executive Gerald Majola paid tribute to Kirsten, saying the whole country would remember the dignified way he represented the country over the past decade.
”We all respect Gary Kirsten’s decision to retire after an extraordinary playing career during which he set many milestones,” Majola.
”His records might well be broken, but they are there so that history can record for posterity his outstanding achievements at all levels of the game.” – Sapa-AFP