'I think both of us have moved on' - Quinton de Kock reflects back on his brawl with David Warner

David Warner and Quinton de Kock had been involved in an ugly quarrel during the infamous Sandpapergate Test series between South Africa and Australia two years ago. The impact of the scandal was so deep that Australia’s cricket structure was shaken besides two of their best contemporary players in Steven Smith and David Warner getting banned for a year. The two teams are set to meet again for two limited-over series kicking off Friday and it is natural that the two-year-old Test series will be back into conversations.

South Africa captain Quinton de Kock, who recently led his country in limited-overs against England, said on the eve of the first T20I in Johannesburg that both he and Warner have moved ahead of their altercation two years ago in culminated into the ball-tampering scandal. The Proteas went on to win that series 3-1 after losing the first match.

De Kock and Warner, who were Australia’s vice-captain then, got involved in a verbal exchange in which the latter had to be restrained in the staircases after the players left the field at tea on the fourth day of the first Test in Durban.

According to Warner, the South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman had made an objectionable remark about his wife. He was fined $13,500 and given three demerit points as a result of the quarrel.

The mercury only rose from there and in the third Test in Cape Town, Warner allegedly masterminded a plot to tamper with the ball to influence the game. The result was disastrous as Warner and his then captain Smith were banned for a year by Cricket Australia while newcomer Cameron Bancroft was handed punishment for nine months. However, de Kock, ahead of the T20I series, said that he harbours no bitterness towards his Australian opponent.

‘We both love to play the game really hard’: Quinton de Kock

“We haven’t had any conversations, but I think both of us have moved on,” de Kock was quoted as saying to reporters on Thursday. “We both just love to play the game really hard. I don’t think anything will happen, we will just carry on with the way we need to go about things.

“If a player on either side decides to take an opponent on, then maybe that fierceness from both teams will reignite. But will both continue to just play the game hard.”

De Kock also spoke highly about his predecessor Faf du Plessis, who recently gave up South Africa’s captaincy. He was rested for the limited-over games for England but returned for the series against Australia.

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