Proteas captain Faf du Plessis says that he thinks Quinton de Kock is best suited at No 6 or No 7 in the batting lineup. 

The wicketkeeper-batsman had an underperforming Test series in England, only managing two half-centuries in the tournament.

His 68 came in the Proteas’ only win in the series at Nottingham, while his second half-century, 51 at Lord’s, saw SA lose the opening Test by 211 runs.

According to Sport24, Du Plessis believes that De Kock needs to move lower down the order.

‘The change with Quinton going in at four was to transfer pressure back on the England team, and he is the one guy who can do that,’ Du Plessis told reporters in Manchester.

‘He did that in the second Test with match-changing innings on a green-top, but from a consistency point of view your number four needs to play the way the team needs him to play, and Quinton plays the way he needs to play.

‘In conditions like this, with the ball moving around, I think it’s better for Quinton to come in at six or seven like your [Jonny] Bairstow, [Ben] Stokes and [Moeen] Ali.’

Du Plessis also said that Temba Bavuma is the best player technically to fill the No 4 role.

‘Temba is probably technically our best player, along with Hashim Amla and myself,’ said Du Plessis.

‘I love what I see in Temba’s character and he’s going to be an important leader for us in the team.’

Bavuma scored 257 runs in the four-Test series, including a vital 52 to save the Proteas from a innings defeat at The Oval.

‘I’m a big believer that, if you see that in somebody, you give them the responsibility to bring the best out in them,’ Du Plessis continued.

‘When he [Bavuma] batted at four, he was our best player in really challenging conditions and that showed me that he has the capability of being South Africa’s number four for a long time.’

Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz