Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday announced its team’s squad for the multi-format series against India and Quinton de Kock‘s name was not part of it. The Proteas star announced before the ODI World Cup 2023 that he will retire from the 50-over format once the tournament ends in November. He has already retired from Test cricket as well. Meanwhile, South Africa coach Rob Walter has made a shocking revelation.
While announcing South Africa’s squad for the home series against India, Walter claimed that de Kock originally wanted to retire from all formats of cricket. He added that he asked him to hold the decision. “In conversations with Quinny at the time of him walking away from ODI cricket (after the World Cup in India, which ended last month), it was originally his plan to retire altogether,” Walter told media persons on Monday.
“I asked him to hold off on that decision. He had a Big Bash opportunity which clashed with the India series. In order to keep him in the game this was the resolution,” he added.
De Kock earlier retired from the Test format and his last ODI game came in the World Cup 2023 semifinal against Australia. He is not part of the T20I series as he will be playing in the Big Bash League, which clashes with the schedule of India T20Is. The BBL will begin on December 7 while the India vs South Africa T20I series will kick off from December 10 onwards.
The Proteas have named a 16-member squad for the T20I series against India and Reeza Hendricks shall get an extended run in de Kock’s absence.
South Africa T20I squad:
Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee (1st and 2ndT20Is), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen (1st and 2nd T20Is), Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi (1st and 2nd T20Is), Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Lizaad Williams