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Seasoned South Africa pacer Vernon Philander will retire from international cricket following the upcoming Test series against England, announced Cricket South Africa on Monday.
Philander was an important part of the Proteas pace troika, comprising Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, both of whom have retired from Tests.
Philander mainly represented South Africa in the longest format, and has played 60 Tests in comparison to 30 ODIs and seven T20 Internationals. He has taken 216 wickets at an impressive average of 22.16, including 13 five-wicket hauls.
Philander himself said: "I want to give thanks to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with the opportunity to represent my country for the last 12 years. It has been a honour and privilege to have played alongside the very best in the game.
"I would like to say a special thanks to my wife, family and friends for your loyalty and support on this journey which has obviously had its ups and downs. And to my number one fan since day one – Mom, thank you so much," he said.
Philander did not have the pace of Morkel and Steyn but troubled the batsmen by swinging the ball both ways.
"He has really done himself and his family proud and I hope he can finish his final series for South Africa with the same character and flair that has become synonymous with him," Smith added.
Philander was part of the squad that toured India in October. Following the retirement of Steyn and Morkel, he has had to take up the additional role of mentoring the younger crop.
"If you look at my record away from home, it is not that bad. The role does differ from conditions to conditions," he had told PTI during the tour of India.
"At the end of the day, you need control. You have got to have that control and I have been fortunate to have that. If you have the skill to nip and swing the ball around, it gives you a big advantage at the same time there is no substitute for genuine pace, the batters don't like it." "So you need an all-round pace attack. I am pretty satisfied with that I have achieved," he had said.
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