Time away from game brought back my hunger: de Kock

“You never know what you have until you’ve lost it”.

This one quote from Quinton de Kock effectively conveys why the South African opener decided to return to international cricket.

During the post-match press conference after the Proteas’ 51-run win over India, de Kock shed light on his retirement U-turn.

“Prior to my retirement, I was losing my hunger to win games, specifically for the Proteas… and that time away just brought back my hunger,” he said at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium on Thursday.

“I was quite exhausted from international cricket. So, my break was much needed. Now, when I came back, I’ve got a lot of energy that I can put back towards the team.”

“I want to play for as long as I can now, where I don’t think I could have had that mindset if I carried on playing. I would have probably finished my career earlier… but now, I can prolong it. I feel fitter than ever and I’m not mentally exhausted.”

The 32-year-old added that playing T20 leagues around the world helped his cause. “I did not change much while I was away. I know world cricket is changing, at least in the T20 game. However, I thought I could still keep up with the way I play.”

When asked whether he would consider making a return to Test cricket, an honest and short reply ensued.

“[You are] not the only one asking. As of now, no. It’s a straight no,” de Kock said.

The Proteas white-ball opener is here to stay.