Dean Elgar, Former South Africa captain is set to retire after playing the two-match Test series against India at home. Elgar will bid farewell to his 11-year-long international career at the end of the Test series. Elgar is set to play the first Test against India at his home ground at the Centurion.
“Playing the game of cricket has always been a dream of mine but having the opportunity to represent your country is the ultimate,” Elgar said in his statement.
“Having had the privilege to do it for 12 years internationally is simply beyond my wildest dreams. It has been an incredible journey that I have been fortunate enough to have. As they say, ‘all good things come to an end’, and the Indian home series will be my last, as I have made the decision to retire from our beautiful game. A game that has given me so much. The Cape Town Test will be my last. My favourite stadium in the world. A place I scored my first Test run against New Zealand and hopefully my last too”, Elgar added.
A Journey of Ups and Downs for Dean Elgar
The left handed made his Test debut in Perth on South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2012, when they were ranked No. 1 in the world. His debut ODIs also came in 2012 but it was the red ball format where Elgar excelled. He amassed a total of 5146 runs in 84 Tests at an average of 37.02 with 13 tons and 23 fifties.
His best knock of 199, also being his highest score came against Bangladesh, in Potchefstroom in 2017. He also scored 160 against India in Vishakapatnam in 2019, against the likes of Mohammad Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, which proved he was the man for all conditions.
His other high profile innings include the lone warrior knock of 141* against Australia at Cape Town in 2018. The 36 year old scored 333 runs in three matches in the series and played a pivotal role for South Africa and the Proteas clinched a 3-1 win against Australia.
He got his Test captaincy in 2021 after his performances with the bat. Under his leadership, South Africa finished third in the ICC World Test Championship in the 2021-23 cycle, which included series wins at home against India and West Indies, and a drawn away series in New Zealand. But away losses to England and Australia in 2022-23 meant South Africa missed out on the WTC final earlier this year.
Click here to Watch the best knocks of Dean Elgar in Test Cricket.
Feels Grateful to Lead South Africa
“Having the opportunity to represent my country and the learnings I’ve had along my journey is something I’ll always be thankful for. It’s most definitely been the best learning experience of my life,” Elgar said.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank Cricket South Africa for investing in me from an early age and giving me the honour of representing my country. I am truly grateful for the opportunities I’ve received since U18 to date. To former coaches and former team mates. You all have played a big role in making me the cricketer I am today, from on field memories and off field moments, all of this will always be in my memory of great fondness”
“To my current teammates, guys you are all a part of me. There have been so many unforgettable memories shared with you all. A big thanks goes to you all and a big good luck for the rest of your careers. Always fly the flag high and be the role models you are. Represent yourselves and the nation with utmost responsibility.
“Lastly, to the fans and supporters out there. You all have played an important part of my career. From ups and downs, you are still there to cheer me on. For this I’ll be grateful and will always remember the great times with you all.” Elgar further added.
Dean Elgar will retire from international cricket as one of just eight players to score over 5000 Test runs for South Africa. He has scored the most Test centuries as an opener for South Africa since 2012.
The Test series begins begins on Boxing Day at the Centurion, with the second Test being played in Capetown from January 3.
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