South Africa’s Anrich Nortje, left, celebrates with a teammate after the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York, Monday, June 3, 2024. (AP/PTI)
South Africa suffered a setback on Wednesday as pacer Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy and the ongoing SA20 league due to an injury.
“Pretoria Capitals fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the remainder of the Betway SA20 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due a back injury,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement.
“The 31-year-old, who was initially named in the Champions Trophy squad, underwent scans on Monday afternoon which revealed the extent of the injury. He is not expected to recover in time for the 50-over tournament, where South Africa will begin their campaign on 21 February against Afghanistan in Karachi, Pakistan. His replacement will be announced in due course,” it added.
Wishing our speedster a speedy and full recovery. 💪
We’ll miss your electric pace this season, but we’re all behind you, Anrich! 🩵#RoarSaamMore #BetwaySA20 #PCvSEC pic.twitter.com/VcsRgAspk5
— Pretoria Capitals (@PretoriaCapsSA) January 15, 2025
Nortje was recently acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League 2025 auctions. It’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for the tournament which is reportedly set to begin after the Champions Trophy.
A few days ago, South Africa had included fast bowlers Notje and Lungi Ngidi in their Champions Trophy squad, which will be played in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19 to March 9.
Nortje has not in the 50-over format since September 2023. The latest injury is a fresh blow for the pacer who had been sidelined with a stress fracture in his back, forcing him to miss the 2023 ODI World Cup 2023 and South Africa’s home summer.
He is not expected to recover in time for the 50-over tournament, where South Africa will begin their campaign on 21 February against Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Lungi Ngidi has been out of international cricket since October 2024 due to a groin injury.
Temba Bavuma will lead the 15-member squad. South Africa have largely stuck with the core group that powered them to the semi-finals of the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, retaining 10 of the 15 players for the Champions Trophy.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
