South African cricketer Quinton de Kock has retired from Test cricket effective immediately, just hours after his side lost to India by 113 runs in the first Test at SuperSport Park.
The announcement came as a shock to Cricket South Africa. The wicketkeeper/batsman was expected to take paternity leave and miss the remaining two Tests of the series,
The 29-year-old has instead confirmed he will not return to the team, though he will continue to play white ball cricket for his country.
De Kock said family has become more of a priority as he prepares to welcome his first child.
“This is not a decision that I have come to very easily,” de Kock said in a statement.
“I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that.
“My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.
“I love Test cricket and I love representing my country and all that it comes with. I’ve enjoyed the ups and the downs, the celebrations and even the disappointments, but now I’ve found something that I love even more.
“In life, you can buy almost everything except for time, and right now, it’s time to do right by the people that mean the most to me.”
He was a former captain over the Proteas Test side, and after debuting in 2014 has gone on to make 3,300 runs at an average of 38.82 in the longer form.
Earlier this year in the T20 World Cup, de Kock refused to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and was subsequently left out of the side for the game against the West Indies.
He later apologised, and said he made the call feeling his “rights were taken away.”
He made 34 and 21 in his final Test match, and pouched seven catches behind the stumps.