South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock won’t be playing in the two tests against the Black Caps here next month after his shock retirement from the test arena.

De Kock made the shock announcement overnight (NZ time), just a few hours after he played in the defeat to India in the first test in Centurion.

In a statement, the 29-year-old de Kock said he made his decision in order to have more time to spend with his family. De Kock and his wife Sasha are expecting their first child in the coming days.

De Kock was expected to be a key player for South Africa against the Black Caps, with tests at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval and Wellington’s Basin Reserve in February.

“This is not a decision that I have come to very easily," de Kock said. "I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to take priority in my life now that Sasha and I are about to welcome our first child into this world and look to grow our family beyond that.

“My family is everything to me and I want to have the time and space to be able to be with them during this new and exciting chapter of our lives.”

De Kock said he was still “fully committed” to playing limited-overs cricket for South Africa.

His move seemingly took Cricket South Africa by surprise, too. Its chief executive Pholetsi Moseki, said: “It’s sad to lose a player of Quinton’s calibre at what we still see as the prime of his career.”

De Kock made his test debut in 2014 and played 54 tests.

South Africa lost the first test against India by 113 runs earlier Thursday to go 1-0 down in the three-test series. De Kock was already set to miss the rest of the series for the birth of his child.