Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, who discovered his form in Tests with an unbeaten 141 against West Indies, dedicated his knock to a friend who lost his finger in Afghanistan as well as to rhino conservation in South Africa.
De Kock, who had a highest score of 39 in his previous seven Test innings, dictated the proceedings on Day 2 of the first Test against the Windies at St. Lucia. He celebrated both his half-century and his hundred with a hand gesture.
Explaining his gestures, de Kock said: “It’s just a friend group I have back home. A couple of people know I am doing this initiative with the rhino thing and one of my friends got his fingers shot off in Afghanistan, and I said I will salute to him.”
“I am doing Rockwood and the rhino conservation and it’s a whole group of us. The one night we had a braai and we started talking and I said his finger being shot off is quite a limelight in our group of friends so I said I will do that as an accolade for him.
“I couldn’t believe it happened the first time. I am sure my phone with the boys’ group is going to be buzzing,” he added.
The 28-year-old had a challenging year last season. He was asked to lead South Africa in all formats of the sport, but his form with the bat wasn’t the best. He was then given a break by Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the domestic T20 tournament.
However, de kock clarified that the break given to him had nothing to do with the captaincy and was instead due to bio-bubble fatigue.
“It didn’t have anything to do with the captaincy. It had to do with the Covid bubbles. Being under so many bio-bubbles took its toll. It was just too much,” Quinton de Kock further stated.
“I asked for a break; if I can just relax for the T20 series back home and they deemed it a mental [health] break. I wasn’t mentally tired, from cricket at least. I was just tired from bubbles. I had enough of them,” he concluded.