The uncertainty remains around who should be the Proteas Test captain, Khalid Mohidin takes a look at some of the options, and would like to hear your nominations for the role.

Graeme Smith confirmed that Quinton de Kock will not be the permanent Test captain, but will remain Proteas captain in the white-ball format.

“The one definitive answer that I can give you is that it’s not going to be Quinton,” said Smith.

“I can’t tell you who it’s going to be. We’re in a debate over it, and a strategy.

“There’s no one person we could pinpoint right now and say that’s the guy.

“There are a lot of players on a similar level. The challenge, when we do play some cricket, will be to see who steps out and escalates themselves into really consistent performers.

“We’ve got to understand the personalities. We’ve got to look at the people; maybe take a risk on someone, potentially, and back them, try to understand who’s got some credibility within the environment [from] a leadership perspective and respect.

“Coming from a person a risk was taken on, it is something that we would certainly consider. Quinton will be our white-ball captain. He won’t be the Test captain.”

So, Khalid Mohidin has picked his top 3 options for the role of Proteas Test captain.

Dean Elgar
Elgar is the most experienced player in the current squad. Being a top-order batsman, he has shown the grit, fight and mental toughness at the top of the order – qualities that are very important when it comes to being a Proteas Test captain.

Respected by his peers and liked by the media for his witty and honest personality, Elgar could be perfect to shoulder the responsibility of taking the Proteas through this transition phase. His domestic experience is also vital in his identity as a player.

He had a tough transition himself at the start of his career getting two ducks in his first two games and a 21 in his third, but then bounced back with a century against New Zealand. His struggles at international level show that he knows what it takes to busy through adversity in international cricket. His experiences will be helpful to pass on advice to the younger and senior newbies to help them make their transition smoother.

Temba Bavuma
He is the definition of toughness. Bavuma hasn’t had an easy life as a cricketer and has worked extra hard to build his career. Having captained the Lions before and the Jozi Stars, he has the experience to be a leader.

He has shown his mental toughness throughout all the “quota player” label hogwash and had to ignore the calls from some supporters for him to be dropped. He has always risen to the occasion. With the large increase of Lions players in the Test side, they have worked under his captaincy and it would help the transition phase to be a lot smoother.

Having been dropped from the national side before, coming back to domestic cricket and performing strongly at that level to earn his way back into the setup, means that he has a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at both levels. Similarly to Elgar, his journey is a vital example and lesson to pass on to the new players in the squad.

Aiden Markram
With the Proteas fielding a relatively new and inexperienced squad, it could be useful to start completely fresh with the captaincy. A young Proteas Test captain could be the perfect option, especially with the young players being picked as important cogs in the side. Markram has shown his ability to captain before, but he went through a tough period under a lot of pressure against the No 1 team at the time, India, and some may feel he was thrown in the deep end.

It was a brutal series for the young captain, but there were undoubtedly important lessons that he would have picked up during this period. Having led the U19 side to World Cup glory, his relationship with the young players in key positions – Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Zubayr Hamza – is vital to make sure that the young core stays unified. As he grows as a player, he will grow as a Proteas Test captain and in parallel, the team will grow too.

Who are your choices for Proteas Test captain?

Here is a list of all Proteas captains in the past.

Disclaimer: Cricket Fanatics Magazine encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views from fans. The views of this article published on cricketfanaticsmag.com are therefore the writer’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Cricket Fanatics Magazine team.