Unconventional De Kock toes the line

Quinton de Kock has long been a maverick. A precocious talent, it was obvious early in his career that he did not fit easily into any cricketing stereotypes.

It's a trait that is familiar to his teammates, and one that the sporting world as a whole recognised after he refused to take a knee in South Africa's game against West Indies at the T20 World Cup last Tuesday.

On Thursday, the saga took another twist when De Kock apologised for his stance and said he would now fall into line with the wishes of CSA.

"If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so," he said in a lengthy statement.

Even before his first selection for South Africa four days after his 20th birthday in December 2012, De Kock told an interviewer that he really didn't like to talk about cricket.

He accepted that it would be part of his job if he made the big time but added, "I have no clue what I'll say but my answers will be short and sweet." It was a mantra that he has largely lived by, although he became more comfortable in front of cameras and microphones as the runs piled up in all forms of the game.

Soon after he started to establish himself in the national team he told journalists that he didn't study opposition bowlers or believe in video analysis. "I just go out and play," he said.

Nor was he obsessive about the exact specifications of his bats. "I take the bat that's given to me and that's what it is," he said on a visit to his bat sponsor's factory in 2017.

His individualistic approach has been no barrier to success. However, it would be a mistake to categorise De Kock, 28, as a carefree young man.

But his reluctance to take the knee following last year's Black Lives Matter movement was becoming an issue.

All eyes now will be on Sharjah on Saturday when South Africa play their next World Cup match against Sri Lanka.