South Africa Legend Comes Back From Retirement; Available for Pakistan Tour

In a surprising twist, South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has decided to come out of retirement and is set to rejoin the Proteas for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, where they will play an ODI and a T20I series. The squad for the series has been announced, and De Kock is set to feature in both the ODI and T20I squads.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been thinking of a comeback for some time and recently signed with the DP World Lions, the franchise where his professional journey began back in 2009 as a 16-year-old prodigy. He went on to score a lot of runs and eventually made his way as one of the best openers in the world.

Quinton de Kock Comes Out of Retirement

De Kock last wore South African colours during the T20 World Cup final 2024 in Barbados a year ago, after which he stepped away from the international scene. His withdrawal from Test cricket had come earlier, in late 2021, midway through a home Test series against India during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, he cited a desire to spend more time with his young family.

Before the 2023 ODI World Cup, Quinton de Kock ODI retirement was one of the major announcements, and it was believed that this would be his final campaign in the 50-over format, and he had finished it in style. He lit up the tournament with four centuries, playing a crucial role in South Africa’s journey to the semifinals, where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia in Kolkata.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled in February, Quinton de Kock’s return to international cricket adds valuable depth to the Proteas setup. His comeback offers head coach Shukri Conrad and selection convener Patrick Maroney a boost as they assess their squad options. After South Africa’s recently drawn T20 series against England, Conrad had pointed to the upcoming SA20 as a crucial opportunity to keep an eye on players' form.

Key Changes in SA Squads for Pakistan Tour

Temba Bavuma, who is one of the best captains in the world, has been ruled out of the entire tour of Pakistan as he continues to recover from a grade two calf strain that he picked up during the England series. In his absence, Aiden Markram has been named captain for the Test series, though he will not feature in the T20s or ODIs due to workload management ahead of South Africa’s demanding tour of India.

Markram is one of several senior players being rested, with Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, and Marco Jansen also sitting out the white-ball leg in Pakistan. As a result, the leadership duties will be split: David Miller will captain the Proteas in the three-match T20I series, while Matthew Breetzke will take the role for the ODIs.

Simon Harmer has earned a recall to the South African Test squad, rejoining a spin department that also features Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen. While Keshav Maharaj is still recovering from a groin injury sustained during the recent England tour, he will only be available for selection for the second Test. Harmer, now 36, last represented South Africa in the longer format during the 2023 series against the West Indies.

Quinton de Kock retirement reversal has taken over the internet as he decided to come out of it. There’s also a return for Zubayr Hamza, whose consistent domestic form with the DP World Lions has earned him another shot at the international stage. Hamza hasn’t featured for the Proteas since the 2023 tour of New Zealand, an interesting series in which South Africa fielded a third-string squad while the main group of contracted players remained committed to the SA20 league back home.