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“Young Lhu reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock says of his opening partner

Firdose Moonda07-Nov-2025When Quinton de Kock, in his role as international comeback sensation, glances towards the other end of the pitch these days, it’s almost like looking in a mirror.”Young Lhu [Lhuan-dre Pretorius] reminds me a little bit of my young self,” de Kock said after South Africa’s second ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad in which he scored his 22nd century. “He’s batting really nicely at the moment. He looks nice and free, and he’s just playing everything on merit. He’s doing really well for a 19-year-old. It looks like he didn’t have the pressure I felt at 19.”Consider the bare bones biographical details, and it’s easy to see the similarities. Both de Kock and Pretorius are left-handers and strong strikers of the ball, and both were South Africa’s leading run-scorers at Under-19 World Cups, 13 years apart. De Kock scored a hundred and two fifties in the 2012 edition in Australia; Pretorius hit three fifties in 2024 in South Africa. Both of those performances led to international debuts laced with big expectations shortly after the age-group World Cup. Did we mention that they’re both also wicketkeepers?Related

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The major difference is that while de Kock came on to the scene as an “enigma”, as described by coach Shukri Conrad, Pretorius came in having modelled himself on de Kock. The pair first met when de Kock’s career had just started, and Pretorius was about seven years old. Since then, all Pretorius has wanted to do is play alongside de Kock, even when he felt it might never happen.”I never thought I would play with him,” Pretorius had said after the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday. “When he retired [from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup], I was really upset because it was always a dream to play with Quinny. Then, when he came back, I didn’t think I was going to play with him. It’s truly a dream come true. I didn’t know him off the field when I started liking him as a role model. Now I got to know him, and he is really calm and composed, and that’s really what I like, and that’s how I want to play my cricket.”And it shows that Pretorius is trying to emulate his hero. On all three occasions that Pretorius and de Kock have batted together, Pretorius has taken the early lead. In the T20I in Namibia, which Pretorius says “didn’t count because Quinny got out quite early”, Pretorius outscored de Kock, who was dismissed for 1. In the first ODI against Pakistan, Pretorius scored 35 off 36 balls in the first eight overs, while de Kock was only on 8 from 12 deliveries. In the second, Pretorius was on 18 off 18 in the first four overs, and de Kock just 4 from six. While Pretorius said he “felt a bit bad” for taking so much of the strike early on, de Kock preferred it that way.”The kid is highly, highly talented” – de Kock on Lhuan-dre Pretorius•Associated Press”Lhu made it very easy because he was playing really well, and so the easy thing was just to try and get him back on strike,” de Kock said, clearly impressed by what Pretorius can do. “I’ve only seen glimpses of him through our SA20 league. And now coming out here and playing with the youngster – the kid is highly, highly talented.”What that means for South Africa’s plans for tournaments like next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the subcontinent, or the 2027 ODI World Cup at home, is yet to be seen. For now, they are awash with options. In the opening berth, Ryan Rickelton, another left-hand batter, is not on this tour as part of a rotation policy that will keep him fresh for Tests against India next week. So is Aiden Markram, the second half of the regular opening pair.The question facing South Africa is whether they continue with Rickelton and Markram, or opt for more explosiveness and perhaps more risk in de Kock and Pretorius. South Africa also have several candidates putting their hands up for the No. 3 spot, including Tony de Zorzi, who has enjoyed good returns in Pakistan, and shared in a match-winning stand of 153 with de Kock in the second ODI.De Kock has previously indicated that the drawcard of a major tournament remains attractive to him, though he understands he is not “guaranteed” a spot, and will have to earn one through runs. But to ignore de Kock’s body of work when the stakes are high would seem a miss. De Kock was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2023 ODI World Cup, and third overall with four hundreds, and their top batter at the T20 World Cup in 2024. And he is hungry to go again.”I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys” – Quinton de Kock•Getty Images”I’ve come back, and I’ve found an energy that I think I lost playing so much international cricket all the time – I played for close to 12 years,” de Kock said. “I was just lucky enough that I retired early enough so I can still make a comeback. I’m very happy to be back. I want to be back, and I missed playing with the guys. But my break, I think, did me really well.”Those are words Pretorius should hear too, especially as he walks a similar path to de Kock. His international career could be long if he is managed correctly and given enough time away from the game to avoid burnout. And it will likely be a little more challenging because Pretorius’ emergence has come at the same time as the league circuit is at its peak. But like de Kock, Pretorius might find the pull of international cricket too hard to resist.”At the beginning of the year, when I was in India for the IPL, guys were asking me if I wanted to come back. At that moment, I just thought a straight no,” de Kock said. “Then I don’t know exactly, but it just started happening. That thought process started coming back. That hunger was coming back again.”De Kock is only available for white-ball cricket for South Africa, while Pretorius plays across all formats, and already has a Test hundred to his name. South Africa have yet to announce their white-ball squads to India, but both are expected to be included.

After winning the Premier League during the debut year under Arne Slot, very few Liverpool fans would have predicted the huge drop in form during the 2025/26 campaign.

The hierarchy handed the Dutchman around £440m worth of funds to help improve his first-team squad, but it’s safe to say none of the additions have yet to improve the situation.

His side have suffered a defeat in nine of the last 13 games across all competitions, which has resulted in their attempts to retain their league title all but coming to an end in November.

Ahead of tonight’s clash against Sunderland at Anfield, Slot’s men remain nine points off the summit, with a faultless run of form needed between now and the end of May to try and bridge the gap.

Such a feat could be achieved should the club make further additions during the January window, with numerous players already being linked with a move to Merseyside.

Liverpool’s hunt for new additions in the January window

With the window now rapidly approaching, Liverpool have been named as just one of the sides interested in a move to land Bournemouth sensation Antoine Semenyo next month.

It’s been reported that talks have already been held with the Cherries over a potential deal in the winter, leading to a £65m price being mooted for his signature.

However, they’re not alone in the hunt for his services, as fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur have also entered the mix and are seemingly in the lead in the race to land the 25-year-old.

Semenyo isn’t the only option currently being considered by the hierarchy at present, with Atalanta midfielder Ederson also firmly on their radar ahead of January.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Reds are battling Barcelona for his signature, with his current employers now demanding a fee in the region of £35m in the winter window.

They also state that Hansi Flick’s side are now trailing in the race to land the 26-year-old, as Slot’s men remain in pole position to complete a potential transfer.

Why Liverpool’s latest target would be Fabinho 2.0

Back in the summer of 2018, Liverpool completed the £39m transfer of midfielder Fabinho from French side Monaco, with very few supporters knowing much about his quality.

However, during his five-year stay at Anfield, it’s safe to say he made himself a fan-favourite with the supporters, whether that be on or off the pitch on Merseyside.

He racked up a total of 219 senior appearances for the Reds, helping them win a Premier League and Champions League title under the guidance of Jürgen Klopp.

Fabinho was mainly responsible for breaking up the play in his deep-lying position, but he also managed to find the back of the net in tremendous fashion – as seen with his thunderbolt against Manchester City.

However, he did leave the club back in the summer of 2023, leaving to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad for a reported £40m – subsequently making a profit on his services.

Despite the financial benefits, the side have massively lacked the Brazilian’s talents at the heart of the side, but that could be about to change with a move for Ederson.

His compatriot does possess serious quality, with the 26-year-old able to fill the void if he carries his performance levels from Serie A to the Premier League.

Ederson, who’s been labelled “out of this world” by former England boss Fabio Capello, has completed 1.4 progressive carries and 7.5 progressive passes per 90 to date.

Such numbers highlight his tremendous ball-playing ability from a deep-lying role, something which Fabinho became known for during his own spell at Anfield.

He’s also completed 90% of the passes he attempted, with 6.6 of his passes per 90 being into the final third – further showcasing his excellent ability in possession.

However, ball-winning is a needed component to any deep-lying midfielder, with Ederson able to match such expectations – as seen by his tally of 53% tackles won in 2025/26. Judging by that, it’s hardly a surprise he was labelled as a midfield “machine” by Italian pundit Carlo Garganese.

The 26-year-old has already made 1.6 interceptions per 90 in Italy, with the Atalanta star having all the qualities to match Fabinho’s levels should he move to Anfield.

£35m in today’s market would be an excellent piece of business for Slot’s side, especially given the levels produced by Ederson during the last couple of months in Italy.

However, he’s showcased he can be the next Brazilian star to capture the hearts of the Liverpool faithful and potentially lead them back to title glory in the process.

Liverpool now in advanced talks to sign "outstanding" attacker who's quicker than Salah

He’s a man in demand.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 3, 2025