South Africa Star Announces Retirement From Tests And First-Class Cricket

South Africa star JP Duminy has brought down curtains on his Test as well as first-class career, thus ending the speculations surrounding his role in the Proteas’ Test team.

The left-handed batsman was drafted in at number 4 after AB de Villiers took a sabbatical from the Test team last year but looked out of sorts and finally faced the axe during the series in England. The 33-year old had managed only 15 and two in the series opener at Lord’s and was then dropped for the following Test before being released from the team for the last two Tests.

And although Duminy admitted that he still has a lot to offer to the game, he said he took the big decision after a long and careful deliberation.

“I certainly know that my playing career is far from over, and my hope is that with the backing of Cricket South Africa, the WSB Cape Cobras, teammates, family, friends and supporters, I will be given the opportunity to continue to give my very best to the sport that I love dearly,” Duminy told South African news outlet Independent.

“But after a long and careful deliberation, I have decided to retire from first-class and Test-match cricket with immediate effect,” he added. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege and opportunity to represent my country in 46 Tests and the Cape Cobras in 108 first-class matches over the last 16 years.”

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Duminy made his Test debut in 2008 against Australia at Perth and scored a match-saving unbeaten 50 before before following it up with a monumental 166-run in second Test at the MCG. The southpaw bowed out of the longest format of the game after scoring 2103 runs with the help of 6 centuries and 8 half-centuries.

 

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