Vernon Philander announced that he will retire after the upcoming test series with England. The retirement will be from international cricket. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were part of the Proteas pace troika along with Philander. Both of the players have retired.
The thirty-four-year-old had played sixty tests, 30 One-Day Internationals, and seven T20 Internationals. He has represented South Africa in a long format. South Africa pacer has taken 261 wickets with an average of 22.16 which is very impressive. The stats also include 13 five-wicket hauls.
Through the official handle of Cricket South Africa on Twitter, the management said that Proteas all-rounder has had an exemplary international career and it has come to an end with the announcement of his retirement from all international cricket forms at the end of test series with England in 2020.
Philander is also grateful and he thanked the Heavenly Father that he got an opportunity to represent South Africa for the last twelve years. He felt honoured to be able to play alongside the very best team. Philander also thanked his friends, family and his wife. He is grateful for their loyalty and support. His biggest thanks were to his number one fan, his mother.
Philander was not as good as Morkel and Steyn but he could swing the ball both ways, giving the batsman a troubling time. He earned the 2012 SA Cricketer of the Year accolade for taking record braking 51 wickets in his first seven Test matches.
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Graeme Smith, CSA Director of Cricket and former captain, also said few things about Vernon. He said that Vern stood out with his character, his determination and how he stood up with for any fight or challenge. He further said that he and his family is proud of his work and he wishes that Vern would finish the series with the same flair and character.