3 Players who can replace Faf du Plessis as South Africa's Test skipper

South Africa cricket isn’t going through the smoothest of phases. Owing to the lacklustre run, Faf du Plessis has constantly been under the pump. In the World Test Championship where India has 360 points from seven matches, from as many games, the Proteas have a mere 24 points.

The Proteas recently lost the five-match series against England 4-1 after winning the opening game in Centurion. Du Plessis scored 151 runs at a dismal average of 18.87. Meanwhile, he was removed as the ODI and T20I skipper.

After the travails, the 35-year-old has resigned as the Proteas’ skipper in Test cricket as well. South Africa’s next Test assignment is in July against the West Indies when they are scheduled to play matches in Trinidad and St Lucia. Therefore, there is ample time to find Faf’s replacement.

In the article, let’s take a look at three players, who can become South Africa’s next Test captain: –

1. Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock has been one of South Africa’s most consistent batsmen in all the three formats for quite a few years. The 27-year-old treads the attacking route that has given him loads of success. A strike-rate of 70.95 in Tests speaks volumes about his fearless approach.

After the Proteas’ World Cup debacle, the Gauteng-born De Kock has already been made the captain in ODIs and T20Is. In the Test series against England where most of the hosts’ batters found it tough, Quinton became the leading run-scorer, getting 380 runs with four fifties.

Of late, Mark Boucher said that he was impressed by De Kock’s fielding changes, leading to dismissals of a few batsmen. Boucher also found shades of MS Dhoni in Quinton. Hence, he should be one of the front-runners for the Test captaincy.

2. Dean Elgar

Dean Elgar is one of the most experienced players in the Proteas Test setup and has been a fulcrum of their batting unit for quite some time. In 63 Tests, the left-hander has 3,888 runs at an average of 38.49 with 12 tons and 14 fifties.

He also has played eight ODIs, but his limited-overs career for the Proteas never took off. In the Test team, he can well and truly be handed over the captaincy mantle. Apart from his experience as a batsman, Elgar has captained South Africa previously. During the Lord’s Test in July 2017, he donned the captain’s hat and started with a knock of 54.

Then in January 2019, he was blessed with the privilege once again, this time against Pakistan after Du Plessis was handed a one-match ban. It won’t spring a surprise if he’s made the full-time skipper going forward.

3. Rassie van der Dussen

It’s been over a year since Rassie van der Dussen first donned the South African jersey. But in this short period, he has carved a reputation as one of their most dependable batters, irrespective of the format. The Proteas haven’t had the best of times thus far from the 2019 World Cup.

However, the 31-year-old from Pretoria, Transvaal has emerged as one of the biggest positives in their setup. Having scored 12 fifties from 37 international games, Rassie has given a good account of himself from the temperament aspect as well.

In the recent series versus the Brits, he was the hosts’ second-highest run-scorer with 274 runs at an average of 34.25. Numbers might suggest his lack of experience at the highest level, but he seems to have the calmness to take over the leadership role.