Proteas batter Mignon du Preez has announced her retirement from ODI and Test cricket with immediate effect.

The former Proteas captain plans to focus on T20 cricket and spend more time with family.

“I’ve been wonderfully fortunate to play in four ODI World Cups,” she said in a statement. “These have been some of my most treasured memories in life. I would, however, love to prioritise time with my family and hopefully start a family of my own soon.

“I feel the time is right to announce my retirement from the longer format of the game and focus my attention on T20 cricket going forward. Thus, I decided to retire from ODI cricket at the completion of our recent World Cup in New Zealand.

“I feel South African women’s cricket is in a very healthy state and the time is right to step away and allow the next generation of exciting cricketers to continue to grow this beautiful game of ours.”

Du Preez made her Proteas debut in 2007 as a teenager and went on to wear the green and gold in 154 ODIs. That included a groundbreaking reign as captain in 46 of them, where the team transitioned into a fully contracted outfit.

The 32-year old ends her ODI career as South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 3,760 at an average of 32.98, with 18 half-centuries and two centuries, including a highest score of 116* against Ireland in 2016.

In the recent World Cup, Du Preez made her 150th ODI appearance, against New Zealand, and scored her last fifty in what will go down as a World Cup classic against India in Christchurch.

Du Preez will not be adding to her solitary Test cap despite the upcoming once-off red-ball clash with England in June this year.

In her only four-day game, the Pretoria-born and raised player recorded a debut hundred (102) against India in 2014, in what was South Africa’s last Test match.