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Anrich Nortje underwent scans on Monday which revealed the extent of his injury.
Anrich Nortje. (X)
In a major blow to South Africa, speedster Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the 2025 Champions Trophy with a back injury.
According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), the pacer underwent scans on Monday to reveal the extent of the injury. Nortje missed Wednesday’s SA20 game for Paarl Royals against MI Cape Town and is likely to be sidelined for a significant period.
CSA said the pacer is ‘not expected to recover in time’ for the tournament. South Africa’s first match is against Afghanistan in Karachi on February 21. CSA hasn’t immediately announced a replacement but said they’d do so in due course.
It was only on Monday that South Africa announced their squad for the tournament. Nortje, who hasn’t played international cricket since June last year, was the major talking point.
Injuries have often come at the worst possible moments for Nortje.
He has been on a break from red-ball cricket to build his fitness after suffering a stress fracture in his back in 2023, which had kept him out of the last ICC ODI event — the World Cup. He missed the 2019 edition due to a broken thumb.
He looked in sublime form in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and Barbados and was seen notching vintage speeds in franchise cricket, too.
Gerald Coetzee To Be The Likely Replacement For Nortje
According to Cricbuzz, pace all-rounder Gerald Coetzee is the front-runner to replace Nortje in the squad. Coach Rob Walter had already put the duo on the same pedestal when announcing the squad.
“Gerald Coetzee played very well in the 2023 World Cup, but it was between him and Anrich Nortje. They offer high pace, both of them. Anrich has more experience and attributes that will stand us in good stead in Pakistan. Gerald has done nothing wrong to not be selected,” he had said.
Big Trouble For KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who signed Nortje as their pace spearhead for Rs 6.50 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, don’t have the same luxury as the Proteas. KKR has always had a penchant for an overseas rapid pacer leading their attack — which Mitchell Starc did so brilliantly last season.
Now, if Nortje’s injury rules him out of the IPL (which will begin in March) too, the defending champions would hope that Australia’s left-arm quick Spencer Johnson and Umran Malik come good for them in 2025.