'Didn't care whether South Africa won or not': Heinrich Klaasen makes explosive statement after retirement

Despite being in top form, explosive South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman shocked the world by announcing his retirement from international cricket a couple of days back.

Now in a stunning statement, Klaasen has revealed that he was in a really bad headspace and he wasn't really enjoying playing for South Africa.

The aggressive cricketer played for the Proteas in the Champions Trophy earlier this year, before being overlooked by Cricket South Africa (CSA) for a central contract.

"I felt for a long time that I didn't really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That's the wrong place to be. I had a long conversation with Rob Walter before the Champions Trophy, and I told him I didn't feel good in my heart about what was going on. I wasn't enjoying it that much," Klaasen said during a recent interaction.

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"We talked nicely, we planned everything nicely up to and including the World Cup in 2027. So when he finished as coach and the contract negotiations with CSA didn't go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier. Now I can spend six, seven months at home. My family needs it, it's been a long four years with a lot of travel. I need a little rest," he added.