"It's going to be tough" - Dean Elgar on leading South Africa in Test cricket
South Africa's new Test skipper Dean Elgar has admitted it won't be an easy task leading the Proteas. But the southpaw is keen to transform the team into a dominant force in world cricket again.
Quinton de Kock was relieved of his duties as an all-format captain for South Africa, with Temba Bavuma taking over the white-ball captaincy. Dean Elgar, on the other hand, has been tasked with leading the Test side.
Elgar explained that he is glad that the Cricket South Africa hierarchy noticed his hard work behind the scenes and appointed him as Test captain.
"It's going to be tough, and something that you have to be willing to do. Otherwise, I don't think you should be put in this position; I am fortunate to be put in this position and that the hard work I have put in behind the scenes has been noticed," Dean Elgar told ESPNCricinfo.
With Faf Du Plessis recently announcing his retirement from Test cricket, Dean Elgar is currently South Africa's most experienced player in the longest format of the game. The opening batsman stated that he is aware of the enormity of the task ahead.
"It's going to be a serious challenge, but it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to. I feel if we get a few things in place, we can definitely take the Proteas brand back to where we were a few years ago. That will be my biggest goal," Dean Elgar added.
Quinton de Kock looked out of place with some of his captaincy decisions during South Africa's away Test series loss to Pakistan last month. His batting form also suffered during that time, and as a result, South Africa have now appointed new captains.
"We aren't at the level of experience we were a couple of years ago" - Dean Elgar
With several senior players retiring in the past few years, South Africa's performance has dipped. Dean Elgar, who said he is eager to work with the younger players, was quick to add that the Proteas currently lack a bit of experience.
"We've got a long line of young, exciting players who've been breaking down doors in domestic cricket to try and get a foot in this squad. It's good to have fresh blood around. We aren't at the level of experience we were a couple of years ago, but we do have a couple of experienced players in the squad. I'm going to rely on them to help me through this journey," explained Dean Elgar.
Besides Dean Elgar, new Test vice-captain Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Quinton de Kock form the team's new senior core. South Africa currently have no confirmed upcoming Test fixtures.