Proteas head coach Mark Boucher says the decision-makers within the camp have had a lot of time to think about the appointment of a new Test captain. However, the former wicketkeeper-batsman says the final decision will probably be made after the arrival of a selection convenor.
Cricket South Africa has experienced a lot of changes over the past year, starting from top management to playing personnel.
The wait for Proteas next Test captain
In the Proteas setup, one of the biggest changes has been long-time Test captain Faf du Plessis stepping down from that role at the beginning of the year.
Limited-overs skipper Quinton de Kock was initially the favourite to skipper the side – until it was decided that he would only assume the role in white-ball cricket.
This has left questions over who would take over the captaincy when the Proteas return to action.
In a statement issued out by CSA on Monday, Boucher reiterated that De Kock would be left to focus on the shorter formats.
“We’ll look to select someone else for the Test role. One of the things that we’ve learned from a side like England is a guy like Eoin Morgan comes in and he’s got a lot of time to plan because he’s not involved in the test team. So, when he goes away from white-ball cricket, he’s got an opportunity to sit down and plan, so when they sit down as a white ball team again, there’s a very clear direction of where they want to go.”
Mark Boucher
Workload management
Boucher added that De Kock already has a big workload, having to keep wicket and open the batting in limited overs.
“He showed good results in the T20s and the one-dayers that he’s taken over,” the former Titans mentor said. “The last conversation I had with Quinny around this topic was in India where he felt that the workload was going to be a little high for him. Whoever is the captain will probably use Quinny’s brain to good effect as a keeper, you see things from probably the best angle. I’m sure he’ll add a lot of value just being Quinton de Kock within the test team.”
Mark Boucher
Names that have been bandied about as possible candidates for the Test captaincy include opening pair Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, as well as Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma in the middle order.
Another player who has expressed interest in the role is left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, while speedster Kagiso Rabada’s name has also come up in the conversation.
