South Africa’s white-ball squad will look a little different this summer, with Quinton de Kock officially reversing the ODI retirement he announced after the 2023 World Cup. Captain Temba Bavuma is pleased – “excited”, in fact – yet quick to stress that the wicketkeeper-batter will not walk straight into the starting XI.
“I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with Quinton from school cricket. So the fact that he is back, I’m as excited as a lot of fans out there,” Bavuma said in Mumbai during the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards on Tuesday. “I think there’s quite a lot of batters, young batters especially, who have put up their names. So he is obviously going to have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”
That last point matters. Since de Kock stepped away 18 months ago, the top order has moved on. Left-handers Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius have kept impressing, while Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis brought power and versatility on recent trips to Australia and England, both series ending in South African wins. In short, the queue is longer than when de Kock left it.
Bavuma revealed the first hints of a comeback surfaced in January. “I chatted to him earlier this year, in January, just before we were going to the Champions Trophy. And there he started kind of throwing out the fact that he would like to be available. Before he went and spoke to Shukri [Conrad, head coach], he spoke to me. He made it clear that that’s what he would like to do. And we will support him.”
At the 2023 World Cup, de Kock thrilled neutral observers, piling up 594 runs at a strike-rate above 107, third-most in the tournament. Those numbers still resonate with Bavuma. “Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player. So if it’s the Quinton who batted in the 2023 50-over World Cup, I don’t think anyone would say no to that.”
Short-term, the focus is white-ball cricket and a gradual build towards the 2027 home World Cup. Longer term, Bavuma has the added task of guiding South Africa’s World Test Championship defence. That campaign starts in Pakistan on 12 October, though the captain himself will be absent with a calf strain.
“Pakistan selected five spinners into their squad, so that really shows you what type of conditions the guys will be faced with there,” he noted. South Africa’s touring parties spent the week sharpening skills on slower surfaces at home rather than flying early. “Guys are back home now, busy with their preparation. So we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’ve been to Pakistan before. The Champions Trophy – yes, those were good wickets. But we are familiar with the place.”
After Pakistan come Tests in India and Sri Lanka, then a more conventional home summer against Australia. By then, South Africa hope de Kock is settled back in the ODI outfit, pushing for another global tournament, rather than merely reminiscing about his 2023 fireworks.
For now, the message remains uncomplicated: enthusiasm is high, but selection still hinges on runs, not nostalgia.
