Faf du Plessis coy on South Africa Test captaincy: "You don't make decisions when you are emotional or disappointed"

The Proteas skipper has already lost the leadership of the 50-over team and hinted before The Wanderers Test he could give up the responsibility

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Faf du Plessis will take time to consider his future at South Africa captain after the resounding Test series defeat to England.

Defeat by 191 runs in Johannesburg gave Joe Root's side a 3-1 success.

It is the first time The Proteas have lost successive home Test series in their history, having been beaten by Sri Lanka in 2019.

Du Plessis hinted he was considering his future as captain before the fourth Test and in the lead up to the game was dropped and stripped of the captaincy of the ODI side.

The 35-year-old will take a break from the game to consider his future, before returning for the T20 series which gets underway on February 12.

"It feels like you've been pushing me that way in the last while," said Du Plessis when asked about his future.

"You don't make decisions like that when you are emotional or disappointed. I know the results don't look good. It shows you where we are in terms of confidence. 

"It's time off to get away from cricket and from all the noise, freshen up and then come back for the T20s."

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Having seen a deluge of talent depart the international team in recent months, Du Plessis was short of star performers across the series.

No batsman scored a century - though Quinton de Kock was the highest run-scorer with 380 - while the bowling battery only mustered three five-wicket hauls.

Rassie van der Dussen, Pieter Malan, Dwaine Pretorius, Dane Paterson and Beuran Hendricks all made their Test debuts during the series and Du Plessis says it will take time for them to adapt to the rigours of the five-day game.

"That's the reality of where we sit," he explained. "We've put some good things in place with the strong, experienced coaching team. We know that, through time, they will guide players.

"But the experience we are lacking now will also take time.

"I'm sitting here extremely disappointed and I know the coaching staff is disappointed and you guys and the fans should be disappointed, but every team goes through this.

"It can look and feel quite bad, but there is a lot of talent and I think you've seen that a lot of people are trying to get the system right so that in two years' time we will be the team that we need to be again."