South Africa quick Duanne Olivier has turned his back on international cricket after signing a Kolpak contract with County Championship side Yorkshire.
Olivier this week broke into the top 20 of the ICC's Test bowling rankings but has now committed to Yorkshire for the next three years.
It continues a worrying trend for the Proteas, with the likes of Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw having previously left the South African system to commit to Kolpak deals, whereby players do not have to be registered as overseas signings.
Olivier conceded it was a tough call to make but felt Yorkshire's offer was too good to turn down.
"I would be lying if I said this wasn't a difficult decision to make," he said via a statement released by Yorkshire.
Read: Olivier's Kolpak deal 'not good news for the global game', says CSA
"It's giving up playing for my country with no guarantees of playing international cricket again.
"But at the end of the day, I needed to be true to myself. I've only got this one chance to see where my talent can take me and Yorkshire just felt right to me."
Olivier has played 10 Tests since making his debut in January 2017 and was named Man of the Series in South Africa's 2-1 series win over Pakistan – taking 24 wickets across the three matches.
He took a further seven in the recent two-match series with Sri Lanka, which ended in defeat for South Africa.
"I would say I've been in good form for the last few years. It has definitely been my most consistent period and I think my stats could attest to that," he added.
"I have definitely enjoyed playing Test cricket. The Pakistan tour was by far my stand-out tour. I loved every moment of that tour. It's definitely one I won't forget."
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