Having led South Africa for the first time as full-time captain in the T20 International leg of their recent tour of India, wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock said he sees himself as only a replacement for regular captain Faf du Plessis, but if given the mantle for the long-term, won’t shy away from grabbing it.
Du Plessis was excluded from the T20 International series against India, and it is widely being expected that the 35-year-old will remain in charge of the Test team while Cricket SA (CSA) hunts for a new captain for the white-ball formats, following the team’s disastrous performance at the Cricket World Cup in England and Wales earlier this year.
De Kock is understood to be one of the candidates in contention to lead South Africa at next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, and the T20Is against India was an orientation of sorts, as CSA look to groom him for a full-time position.
LAST OF A ERA: Faf du Plessis remains the most experienced national cricketer in the current Proteas side. Picture: Aijaz Rahi/AP.
"The way I see it is that I was just a replacement," De Kock told ESPN. "That's the way I took it. For now, it's still Faf's baby. But maybe if things change and they do want me to do it, then I will do it.
De Kock will now have the chance to test his captaincy credentials in the second edition of the Mzansi Super League, which starts on Friday. De Kock will lead Cape Town Blitz at the tournament, an offer brought to the table by Blitz coach Ashwell Prince.
It will mean De Kock will have triple responsibilities riding on him, as captain, wicketkeeper and batsman. While it could burden some, De Kock welcomed the additional duties and said that ‘keeping could positively impact his captaincy, as standing directly behind the stumps, he is at the centre of the action at all times, with a keen eye on field movements and placements.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/MSL_T20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSL_T20. @Paarl_Rocks: Faf du Plessis @msljozistars: Temba Bavuma @CT_Blitz: Quinton de Kock @NMB_Giants: JJ Smuts @durban_heat: Dane Vilas @SpartansMSLT20: Heinrich Klaasen #MSLT20
— LocalCricketZA (@LocalCricketZA)
"It's nothing too difficult - keeping and batting, and the keeping will help out my captaincy anyway," De Kock said. "Rather than being out in the field, I seem to read things better, how the pitch plays, which bowlers to bowl when, the angles, and all that kind of stuff when I am keeping.
“I feel like the keeping helps my batting and also my captaincy.”
African News Agency