De Kock ‘still a part of Proteas team and has not been sent home’

Proteas batsman and wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock “is still very much a part of the Proteas team and has not been sent home”.

That was the message sent out via whatsapp by the national cricket team’s media manager around midday on Wednesday.

De Kock is also expected to make a statement in the coming hours.

De Kock refused to “take the knee” before the Proteas’ T20 World Cup match against the West Indies in Dubai on Tuesday, following a directive from Cricket South Africa that all the Proteas players should henceforth “take a knee” to show their unity in the fight against racism.

The quick-scoring player also withdrew from the team, hours before the match.

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De Kock was replaced in the side by Reeza Hendricks, who helped the team beat the West Indies to get their campaign back on track. The Proteas lost their first match against Australia.

Following much speculation about whether De Kock would be sent home from the UAE and Oman, following his decision, the team said: “Kindly note that there is no update on Quinton de Kock as yet.

“His statement is being finalised and will be shared as soon as posssible.

“I can confirm that he is still very much a part of the Proteas team and has not been sent home as some reports have incorrectly stated.”

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Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said of De Kock’s decision: “It’s going to be a tough couple of days for the group as we try and find out about the decisions that have been made, but we have to respect those whether we agree or not,” Bavuma said.

“Unfortunately the team still has to get the job done and it’s important to find a way to get into the right mental space. And the tournament is obviously only going to get tougher.

“So it’s important that we stay even more together as a team. Hopefully we can now create some momentum. But we need to focus on matters on the field.

“We will only lose energy as a team if we focus on things on the outside, and I would hope we are judged by how well we hit or bowl the ball and not by what causes we support or how we do it.”

The Proteas next face Sri Lanka on Saturday.