Playing without the captaincy could allow Faf du Plessis to have even more of an influence on young players in the Proteas set-up.
Du Plessis has since stepped away from international captaincy entirely, but he remains committed to representing his country in all formats.
Quinton de Kock has taken the reins in both limited overs formats while a decision on the new Test captain is yet to be announced, but in Du Plessis the Proteas have an experienced campaigner who can continue to influence the newcomers in the squad.
This past summer, Proteas cricket entered a new era under the leadership of head coach Mark Boucher and Director of Cricket Graeme Smith, and with the T20 World Cup in Australia still tentatively scheduled for later this year, Du Plessis could have a major role to play in that transition.
Van der Dussen has now broken through into the Protall three formats for the Proteas, making his Test debut against England in December, and he remembers the immense impact Du Plessis had on him when he first entered the international stage.
