Quinton de Kock Wanted To Retire From International Cricket Altogether - Rob Walter's Huge Revelation

South Africa National Cricket Team white-ball coach Rob Walter has made a huge revelation about Quinton de Kock’s original plan to retire from international cricket altogether at the end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

De Kock was in red-hot form in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He batted magnificently and scored 594 runs in 10 innings an average of 59.40 and a strike rate of 107.02, including 4 centuries. He finished as the third-highest run-getter after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Quinton de Kock’s World Cup 2023 appearance was his last-ever in ODI cricket as he had announced his retirement from 50-over cricket ahead of the competition. Notably, the wicketkeeper-batter had also announced his Test retirement a few years back.

Speaking to the media, the Proteas coach Walter revealed that he stopped De Kock from quitting international cricket altogether when they were discussing his ODI retirement.

“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,” Rob Walter told the press on Monday, as quoted by India Today.

“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 further added.

Quinton de Kock, and Faf du Plessis could be considered for T20 World Cup 2024 – Rob Walter

South Africa are set to lock horns with India in a three-match T20I series at home. The three-match T20I series will be played on December 10, 12 and 14 in Durban, Gqeberha and Johannesburg. This is the only T20I series that the Proteas will play ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and the USA.

While announcing the squad for the India T20Is, Walter hinted that Quinton de Kock along with Rilee Rossouw and Faf du Plessis could also be considered for next year’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“Given that some of our frontline bowlers are missing out and there are guys – let me throw it out there just to create some media hype – like Faf (du Plessis) and Rilee (Rossouw) as well as Quinny that could well be considered for a T20 World Cup and then also the SA20 that happens next year – 80% of the side picks itself but there is definitely a space for other guys to get themselves into the conversation,” Walter said. 

“The SA20 will be a very important competition as far as the World Cup goes. The household guys will most likely be there but it’s an exciting time for the guys that sit on the fringes.”

South Africa T20I squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee (1st and 2nd T20Is), 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, Lizaad Williams