CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe believes Quinton de Kock “can still add huge value” to the Proteas.
The 32-year-old, who retired from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and stepped away from T20Is after last year’s global showpiece, is back in the white-ball squads for next month’s series in Pakistan.
Head coach Shukri Conrad made it clear there were “no strings attached” to his return, which puts the 32-year-old in contention for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
“I always felt with Quinton that there might be a U-turn,” Nkwe told the Sunday Times. “He wanted time to himself, and sometimes that is what a player needs. We respected that, and he was good about it.”
Nkwe revealed that Conrad first heard of De Kock’s change of heart during a 2am phone call while the Proteas were in Australia last month.
“Shukri kept me up to speed with the talks that were taking place. I was happy for him to handle it,” Nkwe said. “Players often reach out to the coach first – it was the same with [former Proteas Women captain] Dane [van Niekerk]. I’m comfortable with that. For me, it only comes in when paperwork needs to be completed.
“He’s reflected a lot,” Nkwe added. “He feels he has more to offer, and I believe he can still add huge value to the Proteas setup.”
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Although De Kock does not hold a national contract, he recently signed with the Central Gauteng Lions – the province where he began his professional career as a 17-year-old.
Nkwe added that he plans to meet with the wicketkeeper-batsman before the one-off T20I against Namibia on 11 October.
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
