South African batsman Alviro Petersen called the quits on international cricket following the conclusion of the third Test against West Indies, as the hosts won the series 2-0.
Petersen, whose retirement would come in effect from April 1, 2015, claimed that he feels at 34 it is time for him to retire from international cricket ant to move on with his career.
Petersen said that he intends playing county and franchise cricket for the next three years and also concentrating on his foundation and his cricket school, Sport24 reported.
The batsman claimed that it has been an honour to represent his country and to be part of a South African Test team that is ranked number one in the world.
Petersen stated that he wants to thank Cricket South Africa, his teammates, sponsors and cricket fans for all the support and memories over the years, insisting that he would miss South Africa's amazing team culture that they have built, international cricket, and especially, his teammates but insisted that it was time to move on.
Petersen said that he wishes South African cricket and the team all the best for the future, especially for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia.
CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, led the tributes to Petersen on behalf of the CSA Family, saying that the batsman's contributions to South Africa's success cannot be measured only in statistics.
Lorgat said that as a senior member of the team Petersen played a key role in establishing a successful team culture and introducing younger players to it.
Lorgat said that on behalf of all at CSA, he wished to sincerely thank Petersen for his part in making South Africa one of the most formidable teams in the world, adding that the batsman can look back with great pride and satisfaction on having contributed to the most successful Test era in South African cricket history.
Petersen played 36 Tests for South Africa, averaging 34.88 with the bat, the report added.
