Pitches during India series were ridiculous: Quinton de Kock

Pitches during India series were ridiculous: Quinton de Kock

"(Not playing the Test series) saved my career. To be honest, some of those pitches looked ridiculous. I am glad I missed those Tests."

Like many of his South African teammates, Quinton de Kock too oscillated between cricket and another sport as a child. In de Kock's case, baseball was the sport of choice, which perhaps explains his need to smack everything out of the park with bat in hand. In a free-ranging chat with TOI, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, here playing for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, talked at length about South African cricket, the need to establish his Test career and why AB de Villiers still has five years left in him. Excerpts...

You play so much of your cricket in India these days...

Yeah. I feel like moving in here.Over the last one year, I have played like seven months here in India, which is more cricket here than at home. But it's not too bad as we get to improve our game and prepare for tours.

South Africa's struggles against spin. But you have done better than others....

I am actually one of the worst players of spin. There's no way that Hashim, AB (de Villiers), JP (Duminy) and Faf (du Plessis) are not better players of spin. They got out to spinners. So what? If they get out to seamers, you can't say that they can't get the seamers away . Just because they couldn't do it in India doesn't mean they can't get on top of spinners. It's like Indian spinners are only good bowling in their country. Once they come out of their country, they don't perform as well. It's the same thing.

Does it hurt that you missed the Test series in India? It could have been a great opportunity to establish yourself...

After seeing the kind of pitches that were prepared, I was actually quite happy I wasn't playing. I think they saved my career. To be honest, some of those pitches looked ridiculous. I am glad I missed those Tests.

Is it a relief that you got that first Test hundred out of the way? You were running the risk of being stereotyped as a limited-overs players...

I always knew I would get a few hundreds in Tests. I like batting in four-day and Tests. I back myself to get more runs in that format than in T20s or one-dayers.

Youngsters swoon to the crazy things AB de Villiers does with the bat. But he is also capable of the grind. In the Kotla Test he dead batted for almost for two days...

I wouldn't do either of these things. I don't try playing those shots.That's his talent and there's experience behind that talent. I don't think I could have done what he did in a couple of Tests here. I would have played a couple slog sweeps, for sure. I don't try the other things he does. If you are brave enough to put your chin on the line while playing those laps, then good for you.

De Villiers had to convince the public he is committed to South Africa's Test cricket even as he signed a Caribbean Premier League contract...

It's tough for him because everyone back home is wondering if he is going to retire. His age and him signing up in T20 leagues have raised questions. I don't know why people do it. I think he still has five years in him.

You are now a senior player in the Daredevils set-up. Does all the experience gained here help when you go back to South Africa?

There's a lot of younger guys than me. Mind you, I am just 23. I am senior here because I have some experience.But I know when I go back to the Proteas, I am still a baby. I am not senior there yet with all those many big names there. But I am sure I'll start taking up that role soon.

You have a license to express yourself for South Africa, but so you have to curb yourself for Delhi, since you are the main batsman?

No. I just look forward to smack a few runs.