Johannesburg - Proteas legend Mignon du Preez on Thursday announced her retirement from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test cricket.
Du Preez, aged 32, made the decision following South Africa’s exit in the Women’s World Cup semi-final after losing to England on March 31 in Christchurch.
Du Preez said in a statement:
“I’ve been wonderfully fortunate to play in four ICC ODI World Cups to date. These have been some of my most treasured memories in life. I would however love to prioritise time with my family and hopefully start a family of my own soon.
ALSO READ: Proteas star Laura Wolvaardt nonimated for ICC Player of the Month award
“I feel the time is right to announce my retirement from the longer format of the game and focus my attention on T20 cricket going forward. Thus, I decided to retire from ODI cricket at the completion of our recent World Cup in New Zealand.
“I feel South African women's cricket is in a very healthy state and the time is right to step away and allow the next generation of exciting cricketers to continue to grow this beautiful game of ours.
“I would like to take a moment to thank everyone at Cricket South Africa and the Board for their continuous support during my ODI career. I am extremely grateful for the honour to have represented my country in 154 ODI games and also for the opportunity to have captained my country at the highest level.
"To our team sponsor Momentum and all our fans, thank you for your continuous support.
“Lastly, I would like to thank our management and my teammates for making my ODI journey a memorable one.”
Slight in stature but brimming with passion for the game of cricket, Du Preez will always be synonymous with the Proteas Women’s journey from a budding team to a world-renowned side currently ranked second in the one-day format.
Du Preez made her international debut in 2007 as a teenager and went on to don the green and gold in 154 ODI matches, including a ground-breaking reign as captain in 46 ODIs, where the team also transitioned into a fully contracted outfit.
The electric right-handed batter ends her 50-over career as South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 3,760 runs at an average of 32.98, with 18 half-centuries and two centuries, including a high score of 116 not out against Ireland in 2016.
In this year’s World Cup, Du Preez notched up her 150th appearance against New Zealand and scored her last fifty in ODI cricket in what will go down as a World Cup classic, where she guided South Africa to a historic run chase against India in Christchurch.
Du Preez will also not be adding to her solitary Test cap despite the upcoming once-off red-ball clash against England in June this year. In her only four-day game, the Pretoria-born and raised player recorded a debut hundred (102) against India in 2014, in what was South Africa’s last Test match to date.
IOL sport