Mitchell McClenaghan gives a proper sendoff for AB de Villiers, terms him 'GOAT'

Kiwi speedster Mitchell McClenaghan took to Twitter as he congratulated AB De Villiers on a successful career. The 34-year-old retired from all forms of international cricket. The decision came just as he got done with his IPL campaign for the Royal Challengers Bangalore days ago.

Citing tiredness and running out of gas as the reason, AB De Villiers stepped down as he shared a video on Twitter. He felt that it would be good to watch a youngster come in at his place. He further thanked all the fans as well as Cricket South Africa for the support over the years. He vowed them to continue supporting skipper Faf Du Plessis and the Proteas team.

Earlier this year, the Proteas batsman who hadn’t been a part of the Test squad announced his return to the format. He followed it up with some amazing batting against India and later against Australia. The South Africans went on to register series victories against both of them.

With his form being on top in all the formats, the decision did come across as a surprise. This was quite similar to Graeme Smith’s sudden decision in 2014. The former Proteas skipper though had retired just one year before the World Cup in Australia. Four years later, we see another South African great hang his boots just a year before the big tournament in England.

McClenaghan who was a part of the Indian Premier League represented Mumbai Indians. The pacer even got his wicket during their clash with RCB in April. Wishing him all the best, the New Zealander called him as the greatest of all time. He further remarked that the South African side would never be the same without him.

Here’s what Mitchell McClenaghan posted on Twitter:-

“all the best @ABdeVilliers17 – love watching you play and an SA side taking the field without you just won’t be the same. #Mr360 #GOAT”

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