Quinton de Kock’s T20I availability remains mystery as Rob Walter drops 'dead honest' statement

The 31-year-old South Africa National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has kept the CSA selectors and the team management guessing over his availability for the T20I cricket.

Quinton de Kock has already retired from Test and ODI cricket but is seen actively playing the franchise T20 leagues across the globe. Regarded as one of the best-ever batters to emerge from South Africa, de Kock shocked the cricket world by announcing his Test retirement in 2021.

Also, he had announced before the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 that he would quit ODI cricket after the marquee tournament and did exactly that.

He last featured for South Africa in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and, since then, has not been selected for two back-to-back T20I series that the Proteas have played.

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Quinton de Kock doesn't hold a central contract, but he is yet to officially announce his retirement from T20I cricket. This has led to questions over his availability for the national team, and the South Africa white-ball coach, Rob Walter, was posed with the same question, to which he replied by saying that he doesn't know at all.

"I don't know, to be dead honest. For the next little while, there will be no conversations between myself and Quinny as to whether he wants to play for South Africa again. I've left the door open for him to approach me if and when he wants to do that. That might never happen," Walter said at a press conference.

We have to just allow him to have his space, to play league cricket - Rob Walter on Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock is still more than capable and has been playing sensational cricket across the franchise cricket circuit. The 31-year-old, who was South Africa's leading run-getter in the 2024 T20 World Cup, has played the Major League Cricket, and Caribbean Premier League and will next take part in SA20 and the Indian Premier League.

Meanwhile, the coach has also made it clear that Quinton de Kock is not guaranteed a place in the South African team and they will pick players on performances.

"There might be a conversation and also that conversation does initially mean it will lead to him being selected," he said.

"We have to just allow him to have his space, to play league cricket and to do what he needs to do. What will become more and more important is performance. He's not exactly old [de Kock is 31] so from here on in, it's a performance-based conversation."

Rob Walter also gave an update on the explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen, who wasn't picked for the Afghanistan and Ireland series and recently pulled out of the CPL for personal reasons.

The Proteas coach said that the wicketkeeper-batsman has been dealing with some family matters and remains unavailable, but will soon make his comeback to the setup once everything gets back to normal.

"He has some family matters that he is dealing with currently," Walter said. "As soon as that position has changed, he'll obviously fall back into playing again."