Quinton de Kock, on what brought him back: ‘I missed the camaraderie and the whole thing of representing the Proteas’
The 2023 World Cup, though South Africa lost narrowly to the Australians in semis, had been a dream farewell tournament for Quinton de Kock. He got a bucket full of runs, 4 centuries, including three scores of over 150 in India two Novembers ago, and then was supposed to walk into the sunset.
But admiring beautiful sunsets can’t be the only thing in life at age 32. So the itch struck back to return to do what he loves best. After disappearing, de Kock resurfaced.
“I missed the camaraderie and the whole thing of representing the Proteas,” QdK had said soon after he re-appeared on the scene earlier, getting into selection contention in the Africa tri-series with Zimbabwe and Namibia. He was struck by the realisation that he loved international cricket, after franchise-cricket just didn’t cut it for him wholly.
In his first media interaction post-comeback, QdK had said, “I’d played so much for the Proteas over the years that I kind of forgot about that feeling, as a kid that’s grown up to be a Proteas cricketer. After having a bit of a break from the team, that childhood dream came back.”
Always a junior amongst giants of Proteas cricket, QdK was excited to now be a senior. It helped that he’s good pals with Temba Bavuma, a leader that’s always valued their bond, though there were plenty new faces in Shukri Conrad’s reimagined team.
“What I’ve really enjoyed is all the new faces. There’s only a handful of the guys who are still here from when I left. Now I’m playing with a whole bunch of youngsters, new guys, new coaching staff, so it’s quite refreshing. I’m making some new friends now and there’s a new style within the team,” he said. South Africa, now WTC winners, are still searching for ODI silverware, and QdK could be crucial, though he has that detached air about cricket, that makes him look standoffish.
Responsibility though, without captaincy burdens, might suit him. “Apart from trying to win games, I’m going to try to help youngsters grow in their careers. Obviously, I play a lot more international cricket than a couple of the guys on the team, so I’m just here to help them out where I can. When I started, one of the big guys that I stuck close to, and is now one of my very good friends is Dale Steyn. He taught me a couple of lessons along the way that really helped my career,” he said.
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“A couple of the youngsters have been asking me questions and how to improve their game, so I’m happy to be here and help where I can, kind of like what Dale did for me. If I make an impact in their careers, it will be great. It’s very different, me coming back as one of the older guys. I’ve always been used to being one of the young guys in the team. So it’s a bit of a shell shock,” he was quoted as saying by Criconfo.
de Kock, though a former captain, is not taking his place fir granted, and in the Conrad era, nobody really saunters in. “I don’t think the door is completely open for me,” de Kock said. “I still need to come here and score runs.”
The lure of the home WC though, can be irresistible, and he’s two years away.
“When I spoke to Shukri, I said I’d like to play for as long as I can, however long that’s going to be. Obviously, I’d like to play in a couple of World Cups in that timeline. I said to him ‘Look, I’ve disappeared for a year or two but now I’m back to play for as long as I can. I’m still pretty fit. I feel fitter than ever at the moment. My body feels great, so I’m going to push it for as long as I can. I haven’t set a deadline or timeline,” he had added.
