JOHANNESBURG, February 4: South Africa's test wicket-keeper Dave Richardson has announced his retirement from international cricket and will retire from the game completely at the end of the domestic season.The 38-year-old Eastern province player made the decision after the drawn third and final Test against Australia in Adelaide yesterday.
He has missed just one of South Africa's 43 Tests since the country's readmission to Test cricket in 1991, claiming a South African record 152 dismissals (150 catches, two stumpings).
Richardson had previously said he would retire after South Africa's five-Test tour of England this year.
"I got to the stage where I would wake up in the morning and rather stay in the hotel than play a day's cricket and that's a sign that it's time to call it a day," Richardson said.
He has been troubled by an arthritic joint in the hip since South Africa's tour of India in 1996.
Richardson scored 1,359 Test runs - an average of 24.27 - with one century and eight 50s.
MarkBoucher, 21, is his most likely successor.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
