South Africa name Quinton de Kock as the new Test captain

South Africa announced the Test squad for the 2 match home series against Sri Lanka. Proteas limited overs cricket captain Quinton de Kock is appointed as the new South Africa Test captain. Pacer Kagiso Rabada has been rested for the series.

South Africa Test squad: Quinton de Kock (c & wk), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Beuran Hendricks, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Sarel Erwee, Anrich Nortje, Glenton Stuurman, Wiaan Mulder, Keegan Petersen

The visiting team will play a warm up match from December 20-22 against South African Invitation XI at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa begins with Boxing Day Test at Centurion on December 26th followed by the second and final Test at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on January 3.

The appointment of Quinton de Kock as Proteas Test captain comes as a surprise after the statement of CSA Director of Cricket Graeme Smith in April stating that the wicket keeper batsman would only remain the captain in limited overs cricket.

In April 2020 when Graeme Smith was asked about the successor of Faf du Plessis in Test cricket, he said “The one definitive answer that I can give you is that it’s not going to be Quinton. Quinton will be our white-ball captain. He won’t be the Test captain.”

The presence of another wicket keeper Kyle Verreynne in the squad could mean Quinton de Kock could relieve himself of the glove job.

I don’t think it’s getting tricky for Quinton de Kock. I don’t know why you would come with that angle. Quinny’s a brilliant captain. On the field his cricket mind is absolutely brilliant, in the changeroom he’s really good, and he’s one of the best players in the world, as we know.”
– Rassie van der Dussen on being questioned about Quinton’s captaincy issues