Johannesburg: Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from one-day internationals and has been recalled by South Africa for their upcoming ODIs and T20s against Pakistan, which are set to begin next month. De Kock, who is 32, retired from 50-over internationals following the 2023 World Cup in India and has not represented the Proteas in any format since the T20 World Cup final in June 2024.
According to BBC, although De Kock did not officially retire from T20s, he was not offered a central contract last year after he had ended his Test career in 2021. South Africa's coach, Shukri Conrad, emphasized the significance of De Kock's return, stating, "Quinton's return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us." He added that discussions with De Kock revealed the player's continued ambition to represent his country, noting, "Everyone knows the quality he brings to the side, and having him back can only benefit the team."
This year, De Kock has only participated in T20 leagues, including the SA20 in South Africa, the Indian Premier League, Major League Cricket, and the Caribbean Premier League. Renowned as one of the best white-ball batters over the past decade, only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored more ODI centuries than De Kock's 21 since his debut in January 2013. He was also South Africa's leading run-scorer in last year's T20 World Cup.
South Africa is scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20s in Pakistan, starting on October 12. Due to an injury, captain Temba Bavuma will miss the Tests, which are the team's first since winning the World Test Championship in June, with Aiden Markram stepping in to lead. Donovan Ferreira will captain the team for a one-off T20 against Namibia that follows the tour.
The squads for the upcoming series have been announced, with Aiden Markram leading the Test squad, David Miller captaining the T20 team, and Matthew Breetzke heading the ODI squad. Additionally, Donovan Ferreira will lead the team for the Namibia T20 match. These selections promise an exciting series as South Africa aims to showcase their strength in international cricket once again.