Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement for one-day internationals and been recalled by South Africa for their ODIs and T20s against Pakistan starting next month.
De Kock, 32, retired from 50-over internationals after the 2023 World Cup in India and has not played for the Proteas in any format since the final of the T20 World Cup in June 2024.
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Though he did not officially retire from T20s, De Kock, who called time on his Test career in 2021, was not given a central contract last year.
The decision comes before next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the 50-over World Cup, for which South Africa are co-hosts, in 2027.
It is also a boost to South Africa, and international cricket more widely, amid the power of franchise leagues.
Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen, one of the world’s leading T20 batters, retired from international cricket in June.
De Kock’s only cricket this year has been in T20 leagues – the SA20 in South Africa at the start of the year, followed by the Indian Premier League, Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League.
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At his best, he has been one of the best white-ball batters of the past decade with only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scoring more ODI centuries than De Kock’s 21 since his debut in January 2013.
He was also South Africa’s leading run-scorer at last year’s T20 World Cup.
South Africa play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s in Pakistan, starting on 12 October.
Injured captain Temba Bavuma will miss the Tests – their first since winning the World Test Championship in June – meaning Aiden Markram will lead in his place.
