South African star Quinton de Kock announced his retirement from Test cricket towards the end of 2021 citing a desire to spend more time at home, but wicketkeeper-batter is yet to take full advantage of playing in a format lesser. This is because the star opener is still a part of a number of T20 leagues. However, de Kock does not regret his decision to retire from Test cricket.
"It hasn't freed up my calendar — at least not this year," de Kock said, in his first press engagement since stepping away from Tests. "I've been roped in to play a couple of leagues but that's my own consequence. I am happy to do it. It's still a sacrifice but I'm slowly getting to an age where I need to think about where I want to be in my career. As long as I can do it at my own pace then I am happy," he added.
De Kock announced his Test retirement a few weeks before he became a father, and returned from paternity leave to play in the limited over series against India in January. He also played for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL, for South Africa against India in the five T20Is, and is now in England where he will also play The Hundred and the CPL before another white-ball series in India followed by the T20 World Cup.
The Proteas star admitted that choosing the proper tournaments to play is a major decision to make for the cricketers, and if they want to increase the longevity of their careers, then dropping a format is the only option. "It's going to start being tough for players — three formats is a lot and it looks like more games are happening over the calendar. Players need to make decisions individually and if they feel they can do it [play all three formats], I am happy for them. But guys need to take decisions into their own hands. For me, I am happy where I am."
But despite this claim, de Kock has encouraged newer players to continue pursuing all three formats of the game and said that it only becomes difficult to fit all in as you age or your priorities change. "When you're still young you need to play all three formats and get certain things done in your career. It starts getting harder as you start getting older and the body doesn't cooperate like it used to. It's just a management thing," he concluded.
