Klaasen Reveals Reason For Shock Retirement: 'Didn't Care If SA Won Or Not' – News18

South African superstar Heinrich Klaasen has revealed the reasons behind announcing his retirement from international cricket last week, which left several of his supporters stunned, given he’s just 33 years old.
Klaasen said he realised a ‘long time’ ago that he was no longer enjoying playing for South Africa, and had lost interest in the Proteas’ results or his own performances for the team, which was the ‘wrong place to be’. He explained that he had originally planned to play till the 2027 ODI World Cup at home after a conversation with former coach Rob Walter, who understood his desire to play in several T20 leagues around the world.
But Walter resigned in April 2025 due to personal reasons and the extensive toll of travel from New Zealand, where he lived.
“I felt for a long time that I didn’t really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That’s the wrong place to be. I had a long conversation with Rob [Walter] before the Champions Trophy, and I told him I didn’t feel good in my heart about what was going on. I wasn’t enjoying it that much,” Klaasen was quoted as saying to Rapport.
“We talked nicely, we planned everything nicely up to and including the World Cup in 2027. So when he finished as coach and the [contract] negotiations [with CSA] didn’t go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier,” he added.
Klaasen clarified that he had a good relationship with the new coach, Shukri Conrad, and he made the decision before his appointment. Klaasen also said he couldn’t find the same arrangement with Cricket South Africa (CSA) to play the three foreign leagues — IPL, MLC, and the Hundred — and the board was apprehensive about him missing some bilateral series.
By focusing on just those three tournaments and the SA20, he feels he can give much more time to his young family.
“Now I can spend six, seven months at home. My family needs it, it’s been a long four years with a lot of travel. I need a little rest,” said Klaasen.

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