World Cup 2023: Tough to convince Quinton de Kock to not retire, says Heinrich Klaasen

South African batter Heinrich Klaasen has said it is tough to convince Quinton de Kock not to retire from ODIs. The talisman wicket-keeper bat has already revealed that he will retire from the ODI format after the conclusion of the ongoing ODI showpiece in India.

De Kock has been in stellar form as he scored another breathtaking knock of 174 runs off just 140 balls with the help of 15 fours and seven sixes against Bangladesh at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.

The left-hander scored his 20th ODI century and his third hundred of the ongoing World Cup and thus played an instrumental role in helping the Proteas post 382 runs on the board against the Tigers.

De Kock has scored 407 runs in five matches at an impressive average of 81.40 and a strike rate of 114.97 in the ongoing World Cup 2023 and he is currently the leading run-getter of the tournament.

“It’s going to be tough to convince him not to retire. He has been phenomenal for us and he has been great for South Africa over the years. It’s sad to see him leave, but hopefully he will leave on a good note. He has been brilliant for us in the tournament,” Klaasen was quoted as saying to Star Sports.

On the other hand, former South African skipper Faf du Plessis is proud of the way they have played in the ongoing showpiece. The Rainbow Nation has won four out of the five matches they have played and they are currently in second place in the points table.

“I am extremely proud. You look at these guys, the way they are playing at the moment, having played with them for such a long time, seeing them on top of their game, I have been a huge fan of watching them play,” du Plessis said.

South Africa will next take on Pakistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Friday.