ENG vs SA: Quinton De Kock Hits Out At Hectic Schedule Complying Players To Take Early Retirement
Published - 25 Jul 2022, 03:15 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:10 AM
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has blamed the hectic international schedule behind the early retirement of several players. De Kock retired from Test cricket in December 2021 after the first Test against India at Centurion looking to get some more time for his family.
However, he has lamented saying that the hectic international schedule has not freed up any time from his calendar as he continues to feel overcooked as a cricketer. Recently the ODI retirement of Ben Stokes at just 31 created a lot of stir around the cricket world. In his own words, Stokes said that his body and mind were tired of playing all three formats which made him give up on one of the formats. He is also England test captain and thus expressed his desire to play 150 Tests for his side.
De Kock’s comments came after the third ODI against England which was abandoned due to rain. He also highlighted the heavy scheduling which hardly leaves any time for international cricketers in modern times.
Test Retirement Hasn’t Freed Up My Calender: Quinton De Kock
“It hasn’t freed up my calendar – at least not this year. I’ve been roped in to play a couple of leagues but that’s my own consequence. I am happy to do it. It’s still a sacrifice but I’m slowly getting to an age where I need to think about where I want to be in my career. As long as I can do it at my own pace, then I am happy” de Kock said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.
De Kock further said that playing all three formats with consistency will be increasingly tough for players in the near future. He said that eventually, the players will need to decide which format they want to play and excel in.
“It’s going to start being tough for players – three formats is a lot and it looks like more games are happening over the calendar. Players need to make decisions individually and if they feel they can do it, I am happy for them. But guys need to take decisions into their own hands” the southpaw concluded saying.
