Faf du Plessis steps down as South Africa's Test and T20I captain

Despite Cricket South Africa’s overhaul since the appointment of Graeme Smith as their director, one thing which was looming over the Proteas side lately was the departure of skipper Faf du Plessis from the Test format. The right-hander was under scrutiny, especially after South Africa’s Test series loss against England and his woeful form with the willow. Du Plessis had earlier stated that he won’t be resigning from the Test captaincy duties before the West Indies series.

However, in the recent development of news, Du Plessis– who had committed himself to the skipper duties until T20 World Cup– has stepped down from the captaincy in Tests as well as T20Is with immediate effect.

The 35-year-old revealed his decision by stating that he needed to take a step back from captaincy in order to facilitate the leadership skills of the next generation players like Quinton de Kock.

Cricket South Africa, in a tweet, shared that the 35-year-old has stepped down as captain of the Proteas’ Test and T20I squads. CSA took to social media to make the announcement saying– “Faf du Plessis has announced that he is stepping down from his role as captain of the Proteas’ Test and T20 teams effective immediately.”

With Du Plessis’ dismal run of form, the move of stepping down from the captaincy was on the cards as the veteran is nearing the latter stage of his career.

‘I will offer my knowledge to new leaders of the team’: Du Plessis

“South African cricket has entered a new era. New leadership, new faces, new challenges and new strategies. I remain committed to playing 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,” Du Plessis said in his official statement post his decision.

“The last few weeks of rest away from the game have given me a lot of perspective on the great privilege and honour I have had in representing and leading my country in the three formats of this wonderful game,” added the South African veteran.

In a career spanning over 65 Tests, the Pretoria-born batsman has amassed 3901 runs including 9 tons and 21 half-centuries. Du Plessis’ forte isn’t limited to the longer format as the right-hander has amassed 1363 in T20I cricket at an impressive average of 35.86.

Du Plessis has previously shown glimpses of his ability in T20 format while donning the CSK jersey in the Indian Premier League. Despite stepping down from the captaincy, he is expected to play a pivotal role in South Africa’s quest for the T20 World Cup 2020. Furthermore, Proteas’ stalwarts like AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn are also anticipated to bolster the T20 World Cup squad.

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