Maharaj surprised by Klaasen's retirement

He says Klaasen is still young, in fact younger than him

South Africa's veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj on Tuesday praised Heinrich Klaasen's significant impact on national cricket and reflected on the defining moments of Klaasen's career.

He highlighted Klaasen's skill, resilience and the important role he played in major tournaments despite a relatively short international stint.

Speaking in an ICC interview while preparing for the World Test Championship final, Maharaj reacted to Klaasen's surprise retirement decision by lauding the wicketkeeper-batter's influence on the modern game.

"He is probably one of, if not the most feared batsmen, especially in the white-ball game these days. Yeah, it is sad to know that he is walking away. He is still young — he is younger than me. But you know, we can only wish him well. I am sure he has his reasons as to why, and you have got to respect that," Maharaj said.

Maharaj paid tribute to the retiring Klaasen, recognising the huge void his departure would create in the South African lineup.

"It is amazing to see how his journey transitioned — from being in and out of the team, probably not knowing where he stood, to one series that really changed the game.

It is a huge boot to fill within the lineup. But I know he'll still be here supporting us and making sure that we get over the line in this game as well," he added.

Maharaj recalled the series against Australia in 2020 as a turning point for Klaasen, which marked his rise in ODI cricket.

He also remembered Klaasen's heroic performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, describing it as a testament to his world-class talent.

He brought us back into the game and gave us a little bit of hope. We probably did not cross the final hurdle, but it was super special to witness the caliber and skill of the player come out in a game of that magnitude. It just shows why he's world-class," he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Klaasen on Monday announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.

The decision means Klaasen, who will be 34 next month, played his last game for South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to New Zealand in Lahore in March.

Klaasen made his international debut in 2018 during an ODI series against India and went on to represent South Africa across all three formats over a seven-year career.

ODIs proved to be his most successful format, where he played 60 matches and scored 2,141 runs at an average of 43.69 and an impressive strike rate of 117.05, including four centuries and 11 half-centuries.

Among his standout performances was a blistering 174 off just 83 balls against Australia at Centurion in 2023 — the highest individual score by any batter at No. 5 in ODI history.

In T20 Internationals, Klaasen featured in 58 matches, amassing 1,000 runs at a strike rate of 141.84, with five half-centuries to his name.

He also appeared in four Test matches, scoring 104 runs at an average of 13.00.

The wicketkeeper batter last played for South Africa in March this year during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand. He was dismissed for just three runs off seven balls, as the Proteas lost the match by 50 runs.