Quinny can’t quite guarantee the Proteas and Aussies won’t be hostile again

He didn’t explicitly say there’ll be hostility again, but Quinton de Kock also didn’t exactly rule out the possibility that the Proteas and Australia will be at each others’ throats when a three-match T20 series commences at the Wanderers on Friday evening.

The Baggy Greens, and specifically David Warner and Steve Smith, are back in South Africa for the first time since 2018’s so-called Sandpapergate series, which exposed a lot of ill will between the two archrivals.

That Test tour ended in acrimonious circumstances when the duo were both suspended from international cricket for a year for ball-tampering.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Proteas confirm De Kock and Warner bust-up

Things have moved on since, without the two teams convincingly stating that frosty relations have thawed.

“I don’t think anything will rears it head, but I think if either of us ignite something on the field, if one of the players decides to take on someone from the opposition, the fierceness of both our teams might appear,” De Kock said at the stadium on Thursday.

“Things might reignite, you never know. Maybe not. We’ll just try to play the game hard, but with malice.”

South Africa’s new skipper himself played a prominent role in the rising tensions two years back when he directed a “vile and disgusting” remark at Warner during the first Test in Durban.

David Warner had to be restrained by teammates. Photo: Screengrab.

The sledge clearly riled the Australian opener, who was caught on camera losing his cool on the staircase leading to the teams’ respective dressing rooms.

De Kock and Warner haven’t met in person again recently, though the hosts’ captain believes they’ll handle their rivalry in a professional manner.

“We haven’t really had any conversations. I think we both have moved on anyway. We just look to play cricket,” he said.

“We both still love to play the game really hard. I really don’t think anything will happen. We’ll just carry on and conduct ourselves in a manner expected of us. I wouldn’t worry too much about us two.”

At least De Kock will have a calm presence to lean on in Faf du Plessis, who looked menacing in the nets as he prepares for life as just a senior player.

“He’s excited and understands he still has a big role to play.”

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