{"id":162196,"date":"2021-11-19T06:48:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T07:48:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=162196"},"modified":"2021-11-19T11:02:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T11:02:14","slug":"de-villiers-pulls-up-stumps-on-phenomenal-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=162196","title":{"rendered":"De Villiers pulls up stumps on phenomenal career"},"content":{"rendered":"

South African cricket icon AB de Villiers<\/a> has officially retired from all forms of the game, saying the "flame no longer burns so brightly".<\/p>\n

After retiring from the international level in 2018<\/a>, de Villiers was unsuccessful in his attempts to return to the Proteas' side for the 2019 50-over World Cup, but continued to ply his trade in domestic competitions around the world, including a stint with the Brisbane Heat in the BBL. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Paine quits as Australian Test captain over sexting scandal<\/a><\/p>\n

However, the 37-year-old has now played his last game, having last appeared in the Indian Premier League in October for Royal Challengers Bangalore.<\/p>\n

"It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket," de Villiers said in a statement on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

"Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly.<\/p>\n

"That's the reality I must accept – and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I've had my time.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Cricket Australia blasted for 'silence and inaction'<\/a><\/p>\n

"Whether playing for the Titans, or the Proteas, or RCB, or around the world, the game has given me unimagined experiences and opportunities, and I will always be grateful.<\/p>\n

"I would like to thank every teammate, every opponent, every coach, every physio and every staff member who has travelled the same path, and I am humbled by the support I have received in South Africa, in India, wherever I have played.<\/p>\n

\"AB<\/p>\n

"Last, I am aware that nothing would have been possible without the sacrifices made by my family – my parents, my brothers, my wife Danielle and my children. I look forward to the next chapter of our lives when I can truly put them first."<\/p>\n

De Villiers retires after a phenomenal career which saw him feature in 114 Tests, 223 ODIs and 89 T20 internationals for South Africa. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong>Players union says Paine shouldn't have quit captaincy<\/a><\/p>\n

After making his Test debut in 2004, De Villiers was a central part of a South African side which ascended to the top of the world in the longest form of the game. <\/p>\n

His 8765 runs at an average of 50.66 ranks him behind only Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith among South Africa's Test runscorers. <\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/bhogleharsha\/status\/1461593309214756869<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite his Test prowess, De Villiers retires as perhaps the greatest limited overs batter the game has ever seen.<\/p>\n

De Villiers' 9427 runs ranks behind only Kallis on South Africa's all-time ODI runscorers list, and came at an average of 54.17 and an astounding strike rate of 101.27.<\/p>\n

The South African star became one of the first batters to become a true 360-degree hitter and forged a fantastic T20 career<\/a>, both at the international and domestic level. <\/p>\n

De Villiers played 184 IPL matches, scoring 5162 runs at an average of 39.71 and a strike-rate of 151.69.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South African cricket icon AB de Villiers has officially retired from all forms of the game, saying the "flame no longer burns so brightly". After […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162196"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=162196"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":162198,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162196\/revisions\/162198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=162196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=162196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=162196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}