AB de Villiers retires from international cricket: Here's the full transcript of the South African star's statement

Former South Africa captain and batting mainstay AB de Villiers on Wednesday announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, saying that he has run “out of gas”. The 34-year-old swashbuckler, a fan favourite for his innovative strokeplay and power-hitting, posted a video on Twitter to announce the big decision. One of the most destructive batsmen to have played the game, de Villiers turned up for 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals for South Africa. He averaged over 50 in both the Tests and ODIs. [caption id=“attachment_4480155” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of AB de Villiers in South African colours. Reuters[/caption] Following is the full transcript of de Villiers said in retirement announcement: “I have decided to retire from all international cricket with immediate effect,” de Villiers said on Wednesday (23 May). “After 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals, it is time for others to take over. I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired,” “This is a tough decision, I have thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire while still playing decent cricket. After the fantastic series wins against India and Australia, now feels like the right time to step aside. “It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. For me, in the green and gold, it must be everything or nothing. I will always be grateful to the coaches and staff of Cricket South Africa for their support through all these years. The most important thank you goes out to all of my teammates throughout my career, I wouldn’t be half the player that I am without the support throughout the years. “It’s not about earning more somewhere else, it’s about running out of gas and feeling that it is the right time to move on. Everything comes to an end. To the cricket fans around South Africa and the World, thank you for your kindness and generosity, and today, for your understanding. “I have no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket. I will continue to be the biggest supporter of Faf du Plessis and the Proteas.” With inputs from PTI