Quinton de Kock takes a U-turn, comes out of ODI retirement ahead of Pakistan Tour
Joining the league of players who backtrack on their decision to quit a format permanently, Quinton de Kock has come out of retirement. The South African wicketkeeper-batter has ended his ODI retirement ahead of the upcoming South Africa Tour of Pakistan. De Kock has earned a spot in the white-ball squads for the upcoming series, as well as a one-off T20I in Namibia prior to the Pakistan Tour. The 32-year-old had stepped away from the 50-over format after the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, where South Africa reached the semi-finals but were defeated by eventual champions Australia.
Quinton de Kock named in the South Africa squad for Pakistan Tour
Quinton de Kock named in South Africa’s T20 and ODI squads for the upcoming Pakistan tour. 🇿🇦
— OneTurf News (@oneturf_news) September 22, 2025
📸: ICC#oneturfnews #southafrica #quintondekock #pakvsa #cricket pic.twitter.com/zXKeEA5Toa
The most recent white-ball appearance of Quinton de Kock for the Proteas came during the 2024 T20 World Cup. The marquee tournament witnessed South Africa advancing to the final before falling short against India in the summit clash held in Barbados. Over a year later, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has now expressed his eagerness to represent South Africa in both formats, prompting his return to the squad.
“Quinton’s return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us. When we spoke last month about his future, it was clear that he still has a strong ambition to represent his country. Everyone knows the quality he brings to the side, and having him back can only benefit the team," head coach Shukri Conrad said in an official statement.
It is worth noting that when de Kock retired from ODIs in 2023, he had hinted at the possibility of being available for the home World Cup in 2027. Over his career so far, de Kock has featured in 155 ODIs, amassing 6,770 runs at an average of 45.74 and a strike rate of 96.64. In T20Is, he has played 92 matches, scoring 2,584 runs at a strike rate of 138.32.
Meanwhile, skipper Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the Test series against Pakistan with a calf strain, leaving Aiden Markram to lead the side in his absence. It remains to be seen whether Bavuma will recover in time for the two-Test series against India later this year. Spinner Keshav Maharaj will also miss the first Test, joining the squad only for the second game of the two-match series in Pakistan.
