Combative de Kock takes Proteas’ reins

THE man at the centre of the infamous stairwell confrontation with David Warner will be the first man through the gate against Australia this week.

Feisty wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock is set to be appointed the new captain of South Africa, after Faf du Plessis announced he was stepping down as Proteas skipper, though he will continue playwhen ing in the side. The changing of the guard adds another spicy flavour to the return of Warner and Steve Smith to the scene of Sandpapergate later this week.

When de Kock attacked Warner with a vile sledge about his wife, Candice, in the first Test of 2018, it sparked a near physical confrontation between the pair in the players’ race, where they had to be separated by teammates, including du Plessis, who was only wearing a towel.

The ugly incident, as well as the fact South African staff were suspected of leaking the footage, was responsible for relations plummeting between the two teams to a toxic level, and contributed — at least in some way — to the Australians’ sandpaper brain explosion at Cape Town.

Former England star Kevin Pietersen has previously poked fun at de Kock in cricket commentary for not being the sharpest tool in the shed, but

Australian captain Aaron Finch believes his adversary will make a good skipper.

“He is someone who reads the game really well and loves getting around the team and encouraging and motivating,” Finch said. “He is someone who naturally people would gravitate to and follow his direction if he keeps performing the way that he does.”

The decision by du Plessis to step down as Proteas captain represents the end of an era — with the 35-year-old one of Australia’s greatest modern adversaries.

Not only did du Plessis lead the side that helped inflict Australia’s sandpaper misery, but he has been in charge of some other famous triumphs over South Africa’s great cricketing enemy.

Du Plessis also oversaw another Australian meltdown in the summer of 2016-17, when the hosts were humiliated in a series defeat in Hobart.

BEN HORNE