Clearing the way for the appointment of Quinton de Kock as the South African captain in all the three formats of the game, swashbuckling batsman Faf du Plessis has stepped down as the skipper of both Test and T20I teams with immediate effect.
Announcing the news, the 35-year-old cited that he has decided to take a step back from the leadership role in order to allow the emergence of the next generation of skippers within the team under the new stewardship of de Kock.
Du Plessis said that he made the 'tough' decision in the best interests of the South African team, adding that he would remain fully committed to support De Kock, head coach Mark Boucher and his teammates in rebuilding as a group.
“When I took over the leadership, I did so with the commitment to lead, perform and most importantly, to serve. As the team heads into a new direction with new leaders and a young crop of players, I feel it will be in the best interests of South African cricket to relinquish the captaincy in all formats. This was one of the toughest decisions to make, but I remain fully committed to supporting Quinton, Mark and my teammates as we continue to rebuild and re-align as a group," Cricket South Africa (CSA) official website quoted Du Plessis as saying.
Keeping in mind a jam-packed international calendar--including the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia this October and November, Du Plessis has decided to shift his focus entirely on contributing to the team as a senior batsman and offering his guidance and advice to the new leadership group.
“I have strived to lead the team with dignity and authenticity during exhilarating highs and devastating lows. I have given my everything during my tenure. I have never been one to throw in the towel and do believe I am putting the team first and believe we have to stick through the tough times to get to the good times. In a perfect world I would have loved to lead the team in the Tests for the rest of the season as well as the T20 World Cup, but sometimes the most important attribute of a leader is to be selfless. I am healthy, fit, energised and motivated and certainly see myself playing an important role in the squad for as long as I continue putting in winning performances for the team," Du Plessis stated.
“South African cricket has entered a new era. New leadership, new faces, new challenges and new strategies. I remain committed to play in all three formats of the game for now as a player and will offer my knowledge and time to the new leaders of the team," the experienced batsman added.
Du Plessis' decision to step down from the position came after South Africa slumped to defeats in both Test and T20I series against England recently.
Du Plessis, who was roped in as the skipper of South Africa in all the three formats of the game in December 2012, has led the side in a total of 112 international matches. Since his appointment in the role, the prolific batsman has notched up 5,101 runs in all formats, including 11 centuries and 28 half-centuries. During his tenure, he guided South Africa to several famous victories, including the team’s five-match ODI series 5-0 and 2-1 Test series victories against Australia in 2016.
Last month. De Kock was named as the captain of the ODI side ahead of South Africa's series against England before he continued in the role for the subsequent T20I series in the absence of rested Du Plessis.
