Quinton de Kock- A Baby-Faced South Africa Assassin!
Quinton de Kock in the World Cup 2023 (AP Photos)
How well do you know QDK? Well, I was 14 years old and been watching de Kock since that series against India in 2013. That? Yes, in the three-match ODI series, the then MS Dhoni-led side had no clue about the southpaw's flamboyance.
The Men in Blue may have been prepared for the known left-hander Graeme Smith; no introductions are needed. AB de Villiers, who said it was a difficult decision to leave out Smith; but with the form QDK was in, the Proteas chose flamboyance over experience! And, the rest is history.
De Kock opened with Hashim Amla and showed his brilliance by slamming the 2013 Champions Trophy winners to all parts throughout the series. Hat-trick of hundreds, and with a total score of 342 in the series; deservingly, the baby-faced assassin was adjudged the Player of the Series.
Let's go back to his debut. ODI Cap No.105 for South Africa, Mr Quinton de Kock, was reportedly training under the Protea legend Mark Boucher before the Kiwi challenge and, as expected, made his ODI debut in Paarl. He donned the gloves and batted at number 6, scoring a 34-ball 18 before Nathan McCullum took a superb low catch in front of him at mid-off at the bowling of James Franklin.
It was not an impressive start for his ODI career, but I am unsure what management saw in him as they promoted the Johannesburg-born to open the batting in the very next match of the series. He got a couple of starts in that three-match series, and it was actually the T20I series against the BlackCaps, where de Kock left his impression behind with the little things he did, filling the shoes of a rested de Villiers.
The 12-number jersey bearer has played 289 international matches and has amassed 12,347 runs at an average of 40.34, maintaining a strike rate of 92.73 with 28 hundreds and 66 fifties. Outstanding stats for a swashbuckling opener, isn't it? Ahhh… Yeah!
South Africans have always been passionate about what they do. Quinny is no different. Be it for his nation or be it for the franchises he has been a part of, he has always maintained the same tempo. As his career progressed, QDK just start taking a couple of balls initially, but no real shift in his approach. Be those glorious drives, be those trademark pickup shots over backward square leg and square leg, or those whips off his pads or be it those pickup pulls over mid-wicket. What do those look like? Just looked like a wow!
The things with wows or any desirable moments are that they vanish quickly, leaving behind memories. QDK is just 30 years old, and he has taken retirement from two formats of this beautiful game. He bid adieu to Test cricket in December 2021, while the gloveman stated that he would be retiring from ODIs following the conclusion of World Cup 2023 as the squad was announced.
De Kock admitted that the influence of money from franchise leagues had lured him to choose a path which is better for his future.
"I think I have represented the Proteas badge very well over my career. I am not going to deny that there is a lot of money, and coming to the end of your career, guys want to get their final top-up before their career finishes. Any normal person would do it anyway. If I was really not that loyal, I would have done it five years ago when it really took off. Now I am older, and with me coming to the down slope of my career, it's time."
Let us have a look at a few famous Quin ‘TON’ (S):
As a cricketer, you always want to get off the block as soon as possible. There is a first for everything. de Kock played exceptionally well on a typical slow wicket in UAE and battled really hard to keep the Pakistani bowlers at bay, when he slammed his maiden ODI century.
It was the start of something, for sure. The then-South African skipper de Villiers knew what was coming, and so did the management because they say a star of tomorrow gives enough evidences at a young age.
Later in career, now a core member of the African line-up - QDK smashed his career-best against the Aussies in a run-chase of 295 at Centurion. He hammered 178 in 113 balls, hitting 16 fours and 11 sixes, entertaining the packed crowd sitting in the grass banks under lights. This is the second-highest individual score for a wicket-keeper batter in ODIs, with MSD’s 183* sitting firmly at the top of the ladder.
De Kock didn’t have great outings during the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Getting into the 2023 marquee event at the age of 30... You probably think of a couple more World Cups, isn’t it? But he had other ideas!
At maximum, de Kock knew that he could play as many as 11 matches and, at minimum, 9. He was on a mission. He was there for the glory. Plenty of legends and cricketing demigods have come from the Rainbow Nation, but faded away with ‘Chokers’ imprinted on their backs. QDK wanted to erase it, and boy, he did that from Game 1 against Sri Lanka in Delhi. He never let his chips or his side down throughout the gala.
What a tournament he had, winning 7 games out of the 9 league matches and collided with Australia at Eden Gardens. Alas for QDK and the Proteas, they couldn't burry the ghosts of the semi-finals. Eventually, they lost it to the eventual champions in a nail-biter but went down putting their bodies on the line till the last breathe.
But, he didn't go when a grin on the face. He ended the World Cup as also the only wicket-keeper to achieve a double of 500-plus runs and 20 dismissals in a single edition. Yet again they have been thrown into the slump and the grim is there all over the Proteas.
Nevertheless, who knows we might see the South African captain texting Quinny in 2027: World Cup? & The baby faced assassin replying lol.
 "Akshaya Krishna")