Captaincy of the Proteas Test team

The article on this issue can be seen by entering the following:-

 De Kock insists Test captaincy short-term until new leader 'puts hand up' | Sport (news24.com)

It is from comments of De Kock clear that he did not want the captaincy role of the test team and that he was reluctant to accept it.  He obviously realize that the team still has weaknesses caused by selection and that it would be a chancy situation when it comes to captaincy of such a team.

One should look at a person that would be able to manage the team for a lengthy period of at least 5 years and not for two or three years only - they need major rebuilding and that will take more time,   The names mentioned are farcical -

*   Markram  was captain already in a previous test 

*   Elgar at 33 is in serious decline in performance and a dubious election to the team as well;

*   Bavuma is 30 and his batting is at best sea-sawing - too often failing - he is in the team as a real quota case

*   Van der Dussen at 31 years of age is nearing his sell-bye date

*   Maharaj is a spin bowler specialist and at 29 he is also not expected to last for five years,

The only player mentioned that should to my mind be considered is Markam.   However, I believe that the player with  captaincy potential is Van Tonder,   He is a much better batsman than Smith was at the same age and has a much better batting technique.   Remember Smith became the captain at the age of 23 - so to think of Van Tonder as captain is not as outlandish as some may think.           

As far as the captaincy goes the team is stuck between a rock and a hard place. My guess is that it's between Markram and van Tonder but Markram has underperformed at the highest level and the latter is just starting out, it's anyone's guess if either of them can handle the added pressure.

Also read somewhere that the reason De Kock was picked as captain is because there aren't many test fixtures in the pipeline as there will be as far as ODI games.

CAPE TOWN – Quinton de Kock did some mulling over whether to add the Test captaincy to his already heavy workload, but eventually did so, with the understanding it was only for the short-term.

When he was made skipper of the ODI and T20 teams earlier this year, Cricket SA's Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith and the team’s head coach, Mark Boucher commented that they wouldn't ask him to lead the Test team – citing De Kock's already long list of responsibilities as reasons.

However with South Africa prioritising the limited overs formats in the next few years and not likely to play many Test matches, De Kock was asked to handle one more role.

“When they called me I understood the situation and where they were coming from,” he said. “I didn’t accept it immediately, I thought about it... but it is only for this season, it’s not a long term thing.”

Besides captaining the two limited overs sides, De Kock opens the batting in those formats, is wicket-keeper and is also, right now, arguably the team’s best batsman in Test cricket. He’ll continue to don the wicketkeeping gloves for the two Tests against Sri Lanka, but it was noteworthy, that he stated on Monday he wasn’t going to keep in the ODI series against England, had that series taken place.

The national selection convenor, Victor Mpitsang when announcing De Kock as the new Test captain, said there currently is no obvious leader in the Proteas team. He and the coaching staff want to build a strong “leadership culture,”within the team from which they hope a captain will emerge.

“It’s more for when we get someone who puts up their hand as a leader, and can take over," said De Kock. "The guys are looking for a long term leadership role (for the Test side), I won’t be doing that unfortunately. I’ve said this in the past, it is a lot on my plate, but I’m happy to do it, just for now, until certain things happen.”

After the two Tests against Sri Lanka, South Africa is scheduled to tour Pakistan and play two Tests there and then is supposed to face Australia in three Tests here in February/March next year. No other Tests are scheduled although the tour to West Indies which was postponed earlier this year, needs to be fitted back into the calendar at some point.

Given South Africa’s poor recent record in the Test format, it’s unlikely the Proteas will challenge for a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final (if that event even takes place), but De Kock is still keen that the players produce performances that will allow the selectors to create stability in the Test side.

“We want to be aggressive, we want to throw the first punch, In the past we’ve allowed other teams to throw the first punch, so we want to get better there. We want to be clever, aggressive and streetwise.”

“There are young guys here that need to learn and learn fast,” De Kock remarked on Monday.

“When I compare our team to the rest of world cricket; if you (look at) Australia, India or England, those guys’ teams are sorted, they’re solid in their line-ups. We are young, but we need the younger players to come through and learn fast so that we can have a structured team. That’s what I hope for for this season.”

Thanks Denny

Looking at especially the last paragraph I think that De Kock might have referred to especially Van Tonder, Verreynne and  Pretorius  in the squad when he mentioned "the need for younger players to come through and learn fast" - the real youngsters in the squad and they seems to be in line to replace the older players sooner than we may think.  

There must have been some agreements reached with De Kock about team selection before he agreed to accept the captaincy;   He would not like the habitua l losers over the last two years in the team.          

I think De Kock is spot on, he pretty much has it figured with this....."“When I compare our team to the rest of world cricket; if you (look at) Australia, India or England, those guys’ teams are sorted, they’re solid in their line-ups."

He's saying we need old heads sitting on young shoulders that's how far behind the Proteas have fallen.

The convener of selectors also has it right with this...."The national selection convenor, Victor Mpitsang when announcing De Kock as the new Test captain, said there currently is no obvious leader in the Proteas team. He and the coaching staff want to build a strong “leadership culture,”within the team from which they hope a captain will emerge."

Quintie ain't the man for the job. We need to leave well-enough alone.

He's easily our best keeper batsman of all time - the phenomenon that is AB aside.

Our cricket advanced massively and under Smith and it was because he had both the character and the TIME to come good.

Appointing a 30 something is only ever placeholder. At the same time, we should avoid the trap that England seem to always fall into. That being, thinking your best player is the best option for skipper.

I say, give to Aiden. There is nobody else near the horizon. Give the lad a year or two in the job. By then, he'll either have made good or other candidates will have emerged.

I think Aidan as captain puts pressure on him too.   I think they must bring Van Tonder into the team ASAP  and  a year  later make him captain.   

Smith had a decent developed side when he took over the captaincy - not the present junk that has been selected since 2019.   Most of the Smith era players  stagnated for years  and became worse and worse. The result was the total collapse of the team in  2019 and since then they have gone downhill even further.

It is always very dangerous to stop teambuilding and bringing in people to develop for the future - like in rugby reputation selection with declining performance levels is a abomination.   There were a few new entries into the team since 2013 - but too many f them failed repeatedly and with declining performance levels the team was doomed.

De Kock has his bread buttered on both sides.    He is making a high income  as captain of the  ODI and T20I teams and a fortune  in the IPL - so why take on the captaincy of the test team as well? 

My pick for the captaincy remains Van Tonder - who in the Under 19  WC was made captain of the team selected by World Cricket as the best leader and player in the tournament  and that counts a lot insofar as I am concerned,    Incidentally before they made Smith captain I wrote on site he should replace Pollard as captain and it happened shortly thereafter,     Mozart - a typical prima donna - did not support Smith's captaincy pick initially, but changed his tune later on when Smith did well,    After the 2011 WC  - when Smith's career started taking a performance nosedive -  he started attacking De Kock in 2013 when he replaced Smith in the  shorter versions of the game and is still ongoing.