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‘Keep it going’: De Kock hopes ODI cricket will survive
"There's a lot of guys with big ambitions who want this format to carry on."
Quinton de Kock plays a shot on his way to a century against Sri Lanka at the World Cup last week. Picture: Isuru Sameera Peiris/Gallo Images
While he will be stepping away from one-day international (ODI) cricket after the Cricket World Cup, Proteas batter Quinton de Kock hopes the 50-over format will survive the rise of the T20 game.
Questions have been raised about the future of the ODI format, a concern which was enhanced by the relatively poor turnout during the first week of the global showpiece in India.
In contrast, T20 cricket has risen in popularity and continues to fill stadiums, even in SA where the shortest format has resurrected the domestic game.
De Kock, however, felt there was a place for both limited overs formats at the highest level of the sport.
‘Find a place for it’
He was ready to retire from ODI cricket, after playing 146 matches for his country, but 30-year-old De Kock believed there was value in it for the next generation.
“I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now, so I find it quite tiring, but it’s been a long time for myself,” De Kock said.
“I’m sure there’s still a lot of guys, a lot of youngsters coming through the ranks, guys still at school growing up, they still would love to play this format.
“I highly recommend that they find a way to keep it going because there’s a lot of guys with big ambitions who want this format to carry on going, and I think they need to find a place and a time for it to happen.”
The Proteas will face Sri Lanka in their second match of the World Cup in Lucknow on Thursday, starting at 10.30am (SA time).
