South African head coach Mark Boucher on Wednesday revealed that Quinton De Kock will be released from the burden of Test captaincy after the Pakistan tour.
Quinton De Kock was handed Test captaincy on a temporary basis for the 2020-21 summer due to the unavailability of a better option and a relatively lighter red-ball season. De Kock started off well too by whitewashing Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series at home.
Following the completion of the Pakistan series, South Africa doesn't have any Test cricket coming up in the next nine months after Australia indefinitely postpone their away series against South Africa.
‘We explored every possible option’, CA chief executive Nick Hockley on postponing South Africa tour
Reflecting on the same Mark Boucher said that they’ve got a bit of time before their next series to think who will take over Test captaincy from Quinton de Kock.
"When we get back after this tour, we've got a bit of time before our next Test series so we can sit down and make a good, solid call on who can take over from him and release him from that burden and try and get the best out of him," Mark Boucher told ESPNCricinfo.
Boucher talked about out-of-form Quinton de Kock and the extra burden of being Test captain.
"It's been tough on Quinny. If you're not scoring runs it gets highlighted, especially if you're a captain. We're not that harsh on Quinny in this environment. We know that he's a quality player and there's a good innings around the corner for him. He has been given the extra burden of being captain and that can be tough and something he's not used to." he said.
Reflecting on the postponement of the Australia series, Boucher pointed to the meticulous planning that was going on to host Australia.
"It's no different for the players. I know there was a lot of planning going into the Australian tour back home. We haven't really been a part of that, but it seems a lot of goalposts were being moved for that particular tour, for Australia," Boucher said.
Boucher was disappointed with the series being postponed and said it was disruptive to their plans going forward.
"For example, the one positive that came out of the bubble against Sri Lanka was the hotel that we stayed at (Irene County Club). We thought it was a great hotel for us as South Africans. It suits our needs and the cultural way that we are, being outdoors.
"And we even surrendered that to Australia. There's probably a feeling that we were laying down the red carpet for Australia, which is frustrating at times. After all of that, it's very disappointing and disruptive to our plans going forward." said Mark Boucher.
Earlier Mark Boucher said that South Africa will send their Test players home after the second Test against Pakistan, keeping in mind the quarantine rules ahead of the Australia series, and will play a watered-down team in a T20I series against Pakistan.
However, a second-string South Africa squad also arrived in Pakistan for the T20 series but South Africa will continue with their original plan of sending a few Test players and support staff home.
Addressing the same Boucher said that it was very difficult for them to suddenly turn around.
"Myself, (bowling coach) Charl Langeveldt and (media manager) Sipokazi Sokanyile will be staying over and looking after the T20 squad. It's not ideal. There's been a lot of planning that's gone into the two tours, and going back and quarantining for Australia.
"So the planning was all there. We were told at a very late moment that this wasn't going to happen. It's difficult for us to suddenly turn around when there's a T20 series around the corner." he concluded.
(ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
