White-ball captain of the South African cricket team Quinton de Kock does not want to be over-burdened with Test captaincy and that was the reason he did not take up the role.
The 27-year-old had replaced Faf du Plessis as the ODI skipper in January but it was later announced that he would not be made the Test captain as of now.
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The wicketkeeper-batsman stated that he had a word with head coach Mark Boucher discussing the same issue.
“Me and Boucher had a very informal chat and I told him, look, I don’t know how I feel about being Test captain also. The reality is that’s just too much for me to handle. I know that and I realise that. I don’t need all that stress on myself,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I could see from a mile away that I didn’t need that on top of my shoulders. I’m wanting to come up the order in Test cricket and so I don’t need all that extra pressure.”
De Kock also stated that he is yet to resume training and is taking a break which he feels is more important at the moment.
“Because of the regulations, it’s hard to have such a big squad in a certain environment,” he said.
“I’m based in a very remote place. There’s not much cricket around where I live. I’ve made sure my fitness is up to date. Practice almost becomes muscle memory. For me, at this point in my career, a break is more important than training.”