According to Rapport newspaper, Veteran South African opener Dean Elgar who was replaced as Test captain by Temba Bavuma in February, is considering retiring after the two-Test series against India. The 36-year-old has performed consistently well for the team in the longer format of the game over the years.
Following the resignation of Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar took over as full-time test captain. In June 2021, he captained the team against West Indies. South Africa won the match by an innings and 63 runs, followed by a 158-run victory in the next test, giving Elgar a 2-0 victory in his first series as captain and has led the team to many memorable victories.
According to the article, Dean Elgar believes he is not in Test coach Shukri Conrad’s long-term plans. Elgar is in good form in domestic cricket, having scored 402 runs at an average of 80.40 for the Titans in six innings.
“Just expect the news [of his retirement] to break soon,” Rapport Newspaper source said.
Dean Elgar performed exceedingly well in the 4-Day Domestic Series this season with 402 runs scored in six innings for the Titans at an average of 80.40. The Left-handed opener was set to captain a severely reduced Proteas team (without SA20 players) in a two-Test series in New Zealand in February.
However, some recent negotiations between Elgar and the CSA did not go as well as Elgar had hoped, which could be the reason behind his decision to retire from his test career.
South African head coach Shukri Conrad is considering using South Africa A skipper Neil Brand as an opening batter against New Zealand. If Elgar retires after the India series, Tony de Zorzi will most likely be Brand’s opening partner.
Shukri Conrad replaced Dean Elgar as Proteas Test captain in February with Temba Bavuma, said he knew nothing about Elgar’s prospective retirement plans, and emphatically disputed rumours that their relationship had degenerated.
For the two-match test series against South Africa, Batters David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs have been named to the Test squad for the first time, and fast bowler Nandre Burger has been named to all three formats. For the Test series, wicketkeeper-batsman Kyle Verreynne and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder have been called up and the Proteas would be keen to extend their series-winning record against India on the home soil.
