South African captain Dean Elgar was left “shocked” as he learnt of his experienced wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock’s decision to quit Test cricket.
De Kock retired from the format after the end of the first Test against India in Centurion, citing a fresh start with his young family, whom he wants to give more of his time to while continuing his national duties in ODIs & T20Is.
The 29-year-old bid adieu to the Test game at a time when Elgar is having to navigate through a challenging World Test Championship campaign with an in-transition side. De Kock’s absence leaves a massive void, as he was a 54-Test veteran with an ever-improving glovework and batting average of 38.82 for 3,300 runs. Since the start of 2019, De Kock is the only South African batter to be averaging over 40 (42.90) in Test cricket.
His presence allowed Elgar & co to field an ideal balance where they could play five bowlers without compromising the depth in the batting unit. Replacing De Kock in the middle of a series against the world’s most resourced team like India is going to be a herculean task for this South African side.
“I was pretty shocked. I wasn’t aware this was going to happen, but sitting down with Quinny that evening and him explaining to me the reason, I very much respect his decision and fully understand the space he is in.
Hopefully it doesn’t come back one day and he still wishes he was part of our red-ball set-up.”
Elgar said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
While saying he “respect” De Kock’s decision, Elgar mentioned “not having Quinny around is disappointing for me”, reflecting clearly a sense of worry that he will have to make up for his senior wicketkeeper-batter’s absence when the domestic game in South Africa is still coming to terms with the massive talent exodus witnessed over the last five years.
De Kock’s decision also paints a worrying picture with regards to the economics of our sport as he is leaving the Test game before ageing 30 to create more space in the calendar for white-ball commitments. But Elgar isn’t one to be drawn into those suggestions and doesn’t think De Kock’s departure is going to “jeopardise” Test cricket.
