Interim director of cricket Graeme Smith is hopeful batsman Faf du Plessis’ decision to resign as Proteas Test and T20I captain will yield renewed confidence.

Du Plessis was succeeded by wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock as ODI captain earlier this year. This week, Du Plessis relinquished the leadership in the intermediate and longest format, too.

‘It will be interesting for him. He’s just got to find his space again. He has had a lot on his shoulders and it has affected him and hopefully this will free him up and he’ll become a more dynamic player again. His record in white-ball cricket is incredible,’ said Smith.

READ: Du Plessis quits Test and T20I captaincy

The right-handed Du Plessis endured a poor stretch of form during a three-one Test series defeat by England recently. He has not scored a Test century since January 2019 and might not be able to genuinely justify a berth in the XI, if not captain.

‘These things require honesty within the environment. He and Quinton will need to have a good rapport and the same with head coach Mark Boucher, so that everyone can make him feel welcome within the space and the environment. The best way to deal with this is to be honest, put your feelings out there and let everyone deal with it,’ added Smith.

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