Former Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris believes Quinton de Kock will be determined to make a statement on his return to international cricket against Namibia and Pakistan.
The 32-year-old reversed his retirement from white-ball cricket and will represent South Africa again after last appearing in the T20 World Cup final in the Caribbean in 2024. In ODIs, his last outing came at the 2023 World Cup in India, where he scored four centuries.
De Kock will feature in the one-off T20I against Namibia on Saturday before joining the squad for three ODIs and three T20Is in Pakistan.
His return has generated plenty of excitement – including from Morris, who played alongside him for South Africa.
“At the end of the day, Quinton’s a world-class player, so I’m very happy to have him back,” Morris told SportsBoom.co.za. “With Heinrich Klaasen missing in the middle now, you almost need an experienced batter up at the top, and he’s the guy who will provide that.
“When you’ve got a guy like Quinton coming in, there might be an option of who’s going to play. Because one’s got the reputation and one’s an up-and-coming star, so it’s going to be a tough decision. But I like having a guy of his experience up in the changing room and at the top, leading from the front.”
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While De Kock has an outstanding record – only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored more ODI centuries than his 21 – he will need runs to secure his place ahead of the India tour that follows.
“I think he’s going to go out there and obviously try to prove a point, because he’s coming out of retirement and there are going to be question marks around him,” Morris said. “That usually brings out the best in players.
“It’s a good headache to have for Shukri [Conrad], but it might give a few players a kick up the backside when they thought they were comfortable.
“If we can get a good Quinton de Kock firing just before the home 2027 World Cup, I tell you what, we’re going to be looking like a seriously good team.”
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Photo: Pankaj Nangia/Gallo Images
