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Manchester - South Africa's dismal effort at the 2019 World Cup has left an unmissable stain on Faf du Plessis' legacy as Proteas captain.
He is as aware of that as anyone.
Now 34, Du Plessis has been his country's skipper in all three formats of the game since he was appointed ODI captain back in September 2017 when AB de Villiers stood down following the Proteas' failed ICC Champions Trophy campaign.
For the most part, Du Plessis has been successful and as a result he has been considered as one of South Africa's most natural leaders during his time in charge.
Up until the World Cup, few could argue with what he had achieved as captain.
Now, as South African cricket seeks answers for a World Cup performance that is arguably the Proteas' worst ever, Du Plessis accepts that he must also look at himself and what the future holds in store for him.
"My plan for myself was to commit fully to the World Cup and not even think of anything else," said Du Plessis at Old Trafford on Friday ahead of Saturday's World Cup clash against Australia.
"I didn't want my mind to start drifting into the future. I wanted to be completely present.
"Right now, is possibly not the best decision to be making decisions because you are disappointed. You don't want to be in this mode when you're making career decisions.
"It's a case of taking some time off and reflecting on what the future is like for me and what my purpose is going forward."
The next assignment for the Proteas after the World Cup is a tour to India where three Tests will serve as South Africa's first participation in the Test Championship.
"Is it still playing all three formats for South Africa?" Du Plessis said of the decisions that await him.
"I feel in terms of my own game, the last year is the best that I've ever played. Performance-wise, there are no question marks there
"It's just making sure there is a lot of purpose to what I'm doing in my cricket.
"I've had huge belief the last year and it's been very easy for me to not even consider anything else, because my purpose in captaining this team has been so strong. I didn't even think about anything else.
"I'll spend two or three weeks to look at what the future holds for me for the next year or two."
Play on Saturday starts at 14:30 (SA time).
@LloydBurnard is in England covering the 2019 Cricket World Cup for Sport24 ...
