Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has lent his voice to the conversation surrounding Sunday's controversial runout of Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, urging supporters to "leave QDK alone".
Tasked with scoring 31 runs off the final over, Zaman - who had launched a spectacular assault on the Proteas attack - hit the first delivery to Aiden Markram at long-off.
Turning for a second run, Fakhar slowed down because wicketkeeper De Kock seemed to indicate that the throw was going to the non-striker's end, only to watch in horror as Markram's admittedly fine piece of fielding hit his stumps.
That ended a magnificent knock of 193 off just 155 balls as the visitors, who looked dead and buried at one stage, finished just 17 runs short.
Social media has been abuzz ever since the incident with followers of the game split over whether De Kock's actions were tactically shrewd or against the spirit of the game.
Taking to Twitter on Monday, though, Shamsi offered a different perspective of what had happened by suggesting that De Kock's pointing towards the non-striker's end was, in fact, to ask for back-up should the throw go to that end.
Just 2 clarify
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90) April 5, 2021
QDK was NOT speaking 2 or pointing at the batsman,he was asking a fielder to back up at the non strikers end
Not Quinnys fault the batman turned around 2 see instead of completing the run safely which he should have done
Stop the hate n Leave QDK alone#Peace?
In the aftermath of Sunday's match, both Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and Zaman himself had no issues with De Kock's action during the runout.
With the series tied at 1-1, attention will now turn to Wednesday's third and final clash at SuperSport Park.
So it's not funny that the batsman stopped running instead of completing the run?
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90) April 5, 2021
Lets not take the attention away from a great innings that he played and give him credit for that
The batman's job in that instance was to complete the run that all...
As simple as that :)