Quinton de Kock gave South African fans a massive shock on Thursday December 30 evening as he decided to bid adieu to Test cricket with immediate effect.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter conveyed his message in a statement to Cricket South Africa, stating that his “priority” now is to be with his wife and their kid, for which he wants to create more space in an excessively busy calendar. De Kock remains available for ODIs and T20Is.
“This is not a decision that I have come to very easily. I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that,”
De Kock said in the statement issued by CSA.
“My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.”
Amidst question marks on his commitment to the Test side from certain corners, De Kock made it a point to state that “I love Test cricket”.
An elegant left-hand batter and an ever-improving keeper, De Kock played 54 Tests with 3,300 runs at a highly impressive average of 38.82 with six hundreds and 22 fifties.
The year 2021 was an eventful one for De Kock, who started it as Proteas captain for four Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka but was soon seen relinquishing the post ahead of the series in Pakistan. He had also expressed legitimate concerns about spending elongated periods in mentally tiring bio-bubbles within the COVID-19 pandemic.
De Kock was also one of the multiple white South African cricketers who refused to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign. When CSA mandated the gesture, he controversially skipped the T20 World Cup group encounter versus the West Indies. But soon fell in line with the board’s directory following proper discussions and communication.
“In life, you can buy almost everything except for time, and right now, it’s time to do right by the people that mean the most to me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of my Test cricket journey from the very beginning.”
De Kock further said.
“To my coaches, teammates, the various management teams and my family and friends – I couldn’t have shown up as I did without your support.”
De Kock, however, confirmed that he is “fully committed” to white-ball cricket and will continue representing his country with ODIs and T20Is at the highest level.
De Kock leaves a massive void in an in-transition South African Test side led by Dean Elgar. The Test match against India showcased the talent and promise but also the vulnerability of the current Proteas team as they navigate through a challenging new cycle of the WTC spanning 2021-22.
In such a set-up, De Kock held an irreplaceable presence with both the bat and the gloves, plus the addition of his experience and know-how of the Test match game.
South Africa’s immediate concern will be to identify his capable replacement, one that can help them bridge a massive gap against an Indian attack of high quality and skills in home conditions. The next Test of the Gandhi-Mandela Trophy begins on January 3 in Johannesburg. Newlands will host the final Test from January 11.
