Proteas star batsman Quinton de Kock admitted that he is comfortable in his role as Proteas ODI and T20 captain.

Last year, De Kock took over from batsman Faf du Plessis as the Proteas limited-overs skipper and has since captained in 16 games to date with a 56% win ratio.

De Kock will lead the Proteas in unusual circumstances as they take on England in the opening T20 at Newlands on Friday.

This is the first time the Proteas will play international cricket in eight months due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

And De Kock told reporters in a press conference on Thursday that he is now quite comfortable in his role as captain.

"I guess so, I'm not feeling as nervous as I once did when they asked me and that sort of feeling has disappeared and I'm much more comfortable," said De Kock.

"The guys have helped me feel more comfortable, there's a lot of trust that has been made with me getting this job and how we're going about it as a team."

While it's confirmed that De Kock won't be captaining the Test side, he admitted that there are a few candidates in mind.

"We haven't gotten there yet, I'm still trying to focus on what I have here. There are a couple leaders in the team, anyone could do it though there are the odd standouts. You've got Dean (Elgar), Rassie (van der Dussen) won't do too of a bad job and there are other candidates as well."

READ | Rassie van der Dussen: You don't need a title to be a leader

It's been an uncertain time in South African cricket with off-field issues making headlines, but De Kock says that the Proteas are looking to change the attitude surrounding the game.

"It is (a fresh start). It's been a while since we've played for the Proteas, the guys are raring to go and help change what's been going on around cricket in South Africa. We are the leaders up front and we're going to try and lead from the front."

Coach Mark Boucher has embedded a new philosophy within the Proteas camp: to be "aggressive but smart".

It's a new style of play that the Proteas are instilling ahead of next year's T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

"We want to be aggressive but also smart on the way we go about things, be more streetwise when we're out on the field," said De Kock.

"It makes me more comfortable, I do enjoy that brand of cricket and the guys have taken it on board so hopefully it works."

Earlier this month, De Kock starred with the bat as he helped take the Mumbai Indians to their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

De Kock was Mumbai's top run-scorer with

Source: News24