Quinton De Kock: The swashbuckling left-hand opener from Johannesburg is the player who sets off this series where we celebrate various cricketing greats according to their birthdays.
Born only 31 years ago, it's a shame Quinton has retired from the Test and ODI formats, however, I personally would remember him as one of the most consistent all-format cricketers between his debut in December 2012 and his untimely retirement in 2022-23.
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One of the more underrated glovemen behind the stumps, Quinton has the best Dismissal/Innings ratio amongst all keepers in Test History (min. 40 matches).
His pick-up flicks at the top of the order, complimented Amla’s textbook drives with them forming one of the most formidable opening stands in ODIs, scoring 4198 runs(5th amongst all ODI opening pairs) at an average of 46.13.
T20 leagues have become a mainstay of the modern-day cricketing arena, and Quinton has traveled the globe, standing out in leagues such as the IPL,BBL,CPL,SA20 etc.
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“Choker” is a tag often associated with quite a few players from the Rainbow Nation(often the entire team itself is the one mocked), and De Kock indeed struggled to do justice to his skills at the biggest stage.
Till 2022, De Kock averaged a meager 30 across 17 ODI World Cup innings and 24.12 across 18 T20 World Cup innings.
However 2023 was the year where he buried at the very least his ODI World Cup demons.
594 runs @59.40 with a strike rate of 107.03, De Kock led South Africa to the 2nd position on the points table but they lost yet another Semi-final against old nemesis, Australia.
A match-winner who can change the game from either side of the stumps, he sits on the 13th place of having the most Player-Of-The-Series awards in international cricket, and he requires only 3 more to move to the 6th position.
Cricket South Africa has had its fair share of controversies within the last 10 years and even the man with the thinnest moustache couldn't stay away from it. His refusal to take a knee during the global Black Lives Matter movement in protest to CSA stirred up discussions across the cricketing world, with him being omitted in the match against West Indies in the 2021 T20 World Cup. His early retirements from the Test and ODI arena were also speculated to be the aftermath of run-ins with the country’s cricketing board. What's the Truth? Well we may never know, unless Quinton releases an autobiography in the coming few years.
A Quinton De Kock biography is one which can never be dull given the happenings of the last few years. This is in complete agreement to his playing style, where Quinton always looked to seize the moment and the South African fans will hope QDK seizes a ICC trophy next year, something which has eluded the nation ever since 1998.
Bouncer Avenue wishes a very happy birthday to the swashbuckling southpaw and would love to see more of the exciting cricketer in the future.
