Karachi : South Africa’s veteran batter Faf du Plessis has decided to announce retirement from Test cricket.

The 36-year-old Du Plessis confirmed his decision through an Instagram post and wrote. “My heart is clear and the time is right to walk into a new chapter.”

Former Proteas captain started his Test career back in 2012 at Adelaide against Australia where he made headlines with an emphatic match-saving inning in fourth innings of unbeaten 110 off 376 balls.

He went on to appear in 69 Tests for his country and scored 4163 runs at an average of 40.02, involving 10 centuries and 21 fifties.

“If someone had told me 15 years ago that I would play 69 Test matches for South Africa and captain the side, I wouldn’t have believed them. I stand in a place of utmost gratitude for a Test career full of blessings bestowed on me,” he added.

Du Plessis has decided make the shortest format his priority for now as 2021 and 2022 are the T20 World Cup years.

“The next two years are T20 WC years. Because of this, my focus is shifting to this format and I want to play as much of it as possible around the world so that I can be the best player I can possibly be.”

“I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer to the Proteas in this format. This does not mean that ODI cricket is no longer in the plans. I am just making T20 cricket the priority in the short-term,” he wrote.

Note, Du Plessis last appeared in Test cricket recently in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.