De Kock’s latest retirement another sign of increasing calendar squeeze

At least this time Quinton de Kock didn’t announce his retirement from a format in the middle of a series. 

There’s a month to go before the Proteas start their campaign in the 2023 World Cup, which Cricket South Africa (CSA) stated on Tuesday would be De Kock’s last outing in the One-Day International uniform. When De Kock quit the Test arena in 2021, he did so on the evening the Proteas lost the first Test against India. 

The reason offered then was to spend more time with his family. This time the spectre of a schedule clash hangs over his retirement from the 50-over format. 

It was reported by espncricinfo.com on Tuesday that De Kock was in talks with CSA about his availability for a T20 series with India in December, which coincides with commitments he has made to the Big Bash League T20 competition in Australia. 

De Kock is centrally contracted by CSA, which would expect him to honour that contract by playing in the T20 series against India, which forms a key part of the plans for next year’s T20 World Cup. 

CSA is wary of players who after this year’s World Cup may seek to restructure their national contracts, to take up more T20 League offers, with the national men’s team’s Test schedule so limited. 

The Proteas’ One-Day coach Rob Walter adopted a diplomatic tone when discussing De Kock on Tuesday, explaining CSA needs to be cognisant of the growing demands T20 Leagues are putting on players. 

“We are living in an ever-changing cricket world where leagues are becoming ever more powerful. The pull on players to be available for national teams and league sides is inevitable. It will continue to happen even more.”

De Kock, 30, this year played in the SA20, the IPL and Major League Cricket in the US. By playing in the Big Bash he will be in Australia for most of December, until the first week of January, whereafter he will go straight into the SA20. 

“It’s really important to try to understand the players’ needs alongside the needs of the SA side leading up to a World Cup,” said Walter.

“The benefit is, I suppose, that whatever happens the players are playing T20 cricket and strong T20 cricket in the lead up to the World Cup.

“A lot of water must still pass under the bridge and if we aren’t malleable and flexible in the way we manage things, the inevitable end point is that players will leave the international game and follow the leagues, which is the last thing we want.”

As for his ODI retirement, Walter hoped it would spur De Kock on at the World Cup.

“The player knows when it’s the right time to step out. He’s been a magnificent player for the Proteas, and I know he’s got some unfinished business from a World Cup point of view. It’s great to have his energy directed to these five ODIs (against Australia) with the World Cup to follow.”

De Kock has played 140 ODIs and is the seventh-highest run-scorer for the Proteas in the format and only 34 runs shy of 6,000 in ODIs.

In 17 World Cup matches across two tournaments, he averages only 30, and is yet to make a hundred.