Ex Super sport
Quinton de Kock is ready right now to represent South Africa at test level and would be able to handle the express pace of Mitchell Johnson if he is given an opportunity against Australia, says Geoffrey Toyana, De Kock's coach at the bizhub Highveld Lions.
Toyana was quick to add that De Kock ideally needs another two seasons at first-class level to understand his game and to erase a 'technical flaw', which the coach describes as a tendency to play with a diagonal bat when he gets anxious or very tired.
"Right now, the South African test squad is settled.
"Thami Tsolekile is the reserve wicketkeeper and my view is that he is the best keeper in the country," said Toyana, who also coached De Kock at SA under-19level.
"But if you ask me if Quinton is ready as a batsman to face bowlers at test level, I would say he is.
"He picks up the length of the deliveries so well and his placement is perfect. He can play shots on both sides of the wicket.
"He reminds me of Brian Lara. Like Lara, he can take the game away from the opposition within one session.
"He can bat anywhere from No 1 to five."
The debate about De Kock has raged on social pages and in newspaper columns the past two days after the 20-year old left-handed opener hit three consecutive centuries in the one-day international series against India.
De Kock averages 55.70 in 18 first-class matches and 46.31 in 16 ODIs.
He became only the fifth batsman since the inception of ODIs in 1971 to achieve the rare feat of hitting three consecutive tons at international level. The other four members of the elite club are Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas, Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers.
Toyana was asked if De Kock, if dressed in the white uniform of a South African test player, would be able to handle the express pace and the menace of Johnson. Johnson unnerved Dean Elgar on debut in Perth and accounted for the 26-year-old for a duck within one over.
Yet the Lions coach was sure De Kock would be equal to the task if he had to face the Australian wrecker of the England Ashes team.
"He is a kid without fear. He handles fast bowlers better than spinners. When Marchant de Lange was bowling at 150 kilometres per hour at the Wanderers, he was up to the task.
"Last season he did not even wear a thigh pad in any of the franchise matches.
"And his work-ethic improved by 300% after he had a shocker in Sri Lanka and came to work with me and Dumisa Makalima.
"He worked us to a standstill. He spent four hours a day working on all facets of his batting. He did this for four days a week.
"His technical flaw of keeping the bat diagonal instead of it coming down vertical, improved out of sight," he added.
Toyana says he is still waiting for Cricket South Africa to clear De Kock and Lonwabo Tsotsobe to represent the Highveld Lions in the Sunfoil Series game at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom against the Sunfoil Dolphins from Thursday, December 19.
