By 
Proteas wicketkeeper batsman, Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. The announcement comes after the Proteas’ first Test match against India in Centurion, where India won by 113 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
De Kock has refered to his aims to spend more time with his growing family as a reason behind his retirement from the longest format. He and his wife Sasha, are expecting the birth of their first child.
29 year-old De Kock made his Proteas Test debut against Australia in Gqeberha in 2014. In 54 matches, he amassed 3 300 runs with a high score of 141 not-out, at an average of 38.82 and strike rate of 70.93. He additionally has six centuries and 22 half-hundreds of years added to his repertoire.
“This is not a decision that I have come to very easily. 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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
“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,” he said.
Comments