Proteas wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect.
De Kock made the shocking announcement soon after the Proteas’ 113-run loss to India in the first Test in Centurion on Thursday.
The 29-year-old De Kock cited family commitments as one of the reasons behind his retirement from Test matches.
De Kock made his Proteas Test debut against Australia in Gqeberha in 2014 and went on to play 54 Tests scoring 3300 runs. He knocked six tons and 22 half centuries.
“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,” De Kock said.
“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.
“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, teammates, 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.”