South Africa captain Quinton de Kock will miss the country’s upcoming domestic T20 tournament starting Friday (February 19), as the wicketkeeper-batsman is all set to take a mental health break for a couple of weeks on medical advice.

De Kock has been given a mental health break since South Africa doesn’t have any international commitments in the coming month as the star cricketer will return to action for the Pakistan white-ball series at home in April 2021.

The South African Cricketers Association CEO Andrew Breetzke on Tuesday (February 16) has confirmed that the left-hander “will be on a break for a few weeks” to recharge and refresh himself after a mentally draining job of captaining South Africa in all formats for the past few months.

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Andrew Breetzke, SACA CEO told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday: “On medical advice, Quinton will be on a break for a few weeks. The South African Cricketers Association and Cricket South Africa (CSA) will continue to support him through this process.”

The 28-year-old has been in various bio-bubbles since August last year and he admitted that experience being “very unsettling” with the effects of living in a controlled environment appearing to have taken a toll on the cricketer and was forced to take a break from the game.

Noteworthy, Cricket South Africa’s Director of Cricket Graeme Smith has recently made it clear that all nationally contracted players will be obliged to play in the domestic T20 competition and the four-day matches which will be played from mid-February to March in the country.

(With AFP Inputs)