Quinton de Kock is a cricketing maverick who enjoys nothing greater than his time away from the sport by going fishing and enjoying golf, and at the age of 30 reckons he has served his time within the international enviornment.
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“I’ve played a lot of cricket already,” says the stroke-playing batsman-wicketkeeper.
He retired from Test cricket in 2022, and the Cricket World Cup will deliver down the curtain on his one-day international profession at an age when many gamers are reaching maturity.
He will stay accessible for Twenty20 internationals – however, it appears, solely after they don’t conflict with extra profitable franchise alternatives.
De Kock is predicted to overlook a T20 sequence towards India in December as a result of he has signed a contract to play in Australia’s Big Bash League.
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Cricket South Africa has seemingly bowed to the fact that they must be versatile if they need star gamers to be accessible for main tournaments equivalent to subsequent 12 months’s T20 World Cup within the West Indies and United States.
De Kock first performed for the Gauteng provincial group as a 15-year-old schoolboy in an unofficial match towards a touring group from Durham.
He made his List A debut at 16, performed first-class cricket at 17 and appeared for South Africa in a T20 international simply 4 days after his twentieth birthday.
Far from overawed at his fast ascent to cricketing stardom, the proficient left-hander has resolutely carried out issues his personal means.
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The story is informed that the 15-year-old Quinton de Kock didn’t hassle to placed on a thigh pad when he went out to face a Durham assault which included England quick bowlers Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions.
“I honestly can’t remember, but it is probably true,” he says.
He had virtually fast success at each stage and reeled off three successive one-day international centuries towards India earlier than he turned 21.
Going into the World Cup, he has taken his tally of one-day a whole bunch to 17, opening the batting and invariably scoring at a fast charge.
‘Take the knee’ drama
He has scored six Test centuries and one in a T20 international.
He missed a match within the T20 World Cup within the United Arab Emirates in 2021 when he refused to obey a last-minute edict by CSA to “take the knee” in sympathy with the Black Lives Matter motion – not out of opposition to the trigger however due to the way in which it was dealt with.
That incident got here after he had captained South Africa in all three codecs.
He by no means seemed totally snug within the management position and freely admits, “I don’t mind captaining but I was pretty happy to hand it over. It’s not really in my character.”
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In an age of relentless reference to video evaluation, Quinton de Kock stated early in his profession that he didn’t research potential opponents.
That stays his philosophy.
“I basically play what’s in front of me. You can look at videos, but it’s not the same as being in the middle.”
Nor does he take into consideration cricket or follow when he’s away from the sport.
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He lives in Knysna, a well-liked vacationer city on a big lagoon some 5 hours drive from Cape Town, the place cricket can simply be forgotten.
“I like golf, fishing, spending time with my family,” he says.
“I don’t touch a bat when I am at home. We play so much cricket that it’s like riding a bicycle. A couple of nets when I join up with the team and I’m ready to play.”
‘Don’t see myself being concerned within the recreation’ – Quinton de Kock
One of his common {golfing} companions is known former South Africa batsman Barry Richards, who at 78 is sufficiently old to be his grandfather.
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“We see each other almost every day because we live in the same complex.”
Do they speak about cricket?
“Not really. We might talk a bit about it but he’s like me, we talk mainly about other things.”
“I’ll give the World Cup my best shot. I would like to tick off an ICC (International Cricket Council) event,” he says.
After that he may play T20 cricket for a most of 5 or 6 years earlier than he walks away from the game.
“I don’t see myself being involved in the game in any way when I stop playing. I want a life after cricket.”
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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