Dhaka, June 3 -- South Africa batter Heinrich Klaasen has retired from all forms of international cricket, a blow for the country ahead of their co-hosting of the 2027 World Cup where he would have been a major draw card.

"It is a sad day for me as I announce that I have decided to step away from international cricket. It took me a long time to decide what's best for me and my family for the future. It was truly a very difficult decision but also one that I have absolute peace with," he said in a Cricket South Africa statement on Monday.

"I look forward to spending more time with my family as this decision will allow me to do so."Klaasen, 33, is one of the world's most destructive batters in white-ball cricket and a mainstay of the Sout...