Cricket South Africa
Proteas wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect.
De Kock has cited his intentions to spend more time with his growing family for the timing and reason for his relatively early retirement from the format.
He and his wife, Sasha, are anticipating the imminent birth of their first-born child in the coming days.
His test career spanned 54 matches in which he amassed 3300 runs at an average of 38.82 and effected 232 dismissals - including 221 catches and 11 stumpings.
Quinnie remains available for the Proteas in white ball cricket.
29-year-old De Kock's statement is as follows:
"This is not a decision that I have come to very easily. I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that. My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.
I love Test cricket and I love representing my country and all that it comes with. I've enjoyed the ups and the downs, the celebrations and even the disappointments, but now I've found something that I love even more.
In life, you can buy almost everything except for time, and right now, it's time to do right by the people that mean the most to me.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of my Test cricket journey from the very beginning. To my coaches, teammates, the various management teams and my family and friends - I couldn't have shown up as I did without your support.
This is not the end of my career as a Protea, I'm fully committed to white ball cricket and representing my country to the best of my ability for the foreseeable future.
All the best to my teammates for the remainder of this Test series against India.
See you in the ODIs and T20s.
