Quinton de Kock is in South Africa’s one-day and T20 squads once more, only a year after calling time on his 50-over career. The wicketkeeper-batter has been named for next month’s three-match ODI series in Pakistan, plus the two T20Is that follow, and he will also play the solitary T20I in Windhoek on the way.
Shukri Conrad, now head coach, confirmed a straightforward conversation had smoothed the way. “Quinton’s return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us,” Conrad said. “When we spoke last month about his future, it was clear that he still has a strong ambition to represent his country. Everyone knows the quality he brings to the side, and having him back can only benefit the team.”
De Kock quit ODIs after the 2023 World Cup, citing the heavy travel schedule and a wish to focus on franchise T20 work. Officially he never closed the door on T20Is, but he missed every white-ball series that followed. In that period he bounced between leagues – IPL, CPL, the lot – and, if anything, appeared further away from a Proteas return.
Yet the prospect of another home World Cup, the 2027 edition in South Africa, has clearly pulled at him. Back in 2023 he conceded as much: “At this point, I don’t foresee it happening. But you never know. Strange things happen in life. It could be a possibility but I don’t think so,” he had said. It turns out the strange thing has happened.
The numbers still stack up. Across 155 ODIs he has 6,770 runs at 45.74, striking at 96.64 (that’s runs per 100 balls, for newer readers). In 92 T20 internationals his 2,584 runs come at a breezy 138.32. Those metrics remain comfortably inside the top bracket for modern openers.
Now comes the hard bit: producing that form in a side that is moving on, not simply waiting. South Africa have tried a handful of keepers since the last World Cup, some doing a tidy enough job. If de Kock settles quickly in Pakistan, selection headaches will follow; if he doesn’t, the retirement back-flip may look premature. Either way, it offers a useful, if slightly unexpected, lift for a squad that missed his calm at the top of the order.
The touring party assembles in Windhoek early next month. Pakistan is always a sharp examination, especially for top-order left-handers against the new ball. De Kock has shown before he can cope; South Africa will soon find out if he still wants to.
