Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock of South Africa during the 2021 Betway 1st Test match between South Africa and India on the 26 December 2021 at the SuperSport Park, Pretoria ©Muzi Ntombela/Sports Inc

Shocker: Quinton de Kock announces retirement from Test cricket

Proteas star Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket in shock move on Thursday 30 December 2021.

Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock of South Africa during the 2021 Betway 1st Test match between South Africa and India on the 26 December 2021 at the SuperSport Park, Pretoria ©Muzi Ntombela/Sports Inc

Proteas star Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket in shock move on Thursday 30 December 2021. 

De Kock was down to miss the second and third Tests against India on paternity leave but will step away from the longest format entirely with immediate effect

De Kock is still available to play white-ball cricket for South Africa.

Quinton de Kock quits Test cricket

De Kock began this year as South Africa’s stand-in Test skipper, however he now ends it by calling time on his career in the format. 

The 29-year-old skippered South Africa in four Tests, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, with a 50% win record. 

South Africa beat Sri Lanka 2-0 at home under De Kock’s leadership but lost in Pakistan by the same margin.

“This is not a decision that I have come to very easily,” De Kock said in a statement.

“I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that. 

“My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.

“I love Test cricket and I love representing my country and all that it comes with. I’ve enjoyed the ups and the downs, the celebrations and even the disappointments, but now I’ve found something that I love even more.

“In life, you can buy almost everything except for time, and right now, it’s time to do right by the people that mean the most to me.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of my Test cricket journey from the very beginning. To my coaches, team mates, the various management teams and my family and friends – I couldn’t have shown up as I did without your support.

 This is not the end of my career as a Protea, I’m fully committed to white ball cricket and representing my country to the best of my ability for the foreseeable future.

“All the best to my teammates for the remainder of this Test series against India.”

Cricket South Africa

Having made his Test debut against Australia in 2014, He would play 54 Tests, scoring 3300 runs at an average of 38.82 including six centuries.

His first Test hundred came at the same ground he played his last Test – SuperSport Park – when he scored 129* at No. 7 as South Africa beat England by 280 runs in 2016. 

De Kock would score a match-winning hundred in Hobart later that year, which helped South Africa to a third successive series win in Australia and cemented his place in the Test side.