South Africa T20I Squad Named for Zimbabwe Tri-Series; Nortje Injury a Concern

South Africa Announces Squad for Zimbabwe Tri-Series: Familiar Faces Return, But Nortje Absent

Rassie van der Dussen, Nandre Burger, and Gerald Coetzee are set to make their return to the South African squad, alongside coach Rob Walter. The team will also welcome Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Corbin Bosch, Rubin Hermann, and Senuran Muthusamy. However, Anrich Nortje will be notably absent due to injury.

Anrich Nortje sidelined due to back injury © Getty

Van der Dussen's last appearance for South Africa was in March, Burger in August, and Coetzee in November. Pretorius, Bosch, Hermann, and Muthusamy are all awaiting their first T20I cap. Walter returns to the coaching position, while Shukri Conrad, previously the red-ball coach, takes charge of the white-ball format.

The T20I triangular series is scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe next month, featuring South Africa, Zimbabwe, and New Zealand.

"I look forward to catching up with Rob," Conrad stated at the press conference announcing the squad. "He's got valuable insights into our squad, which makes the tri-series all the more spicy."

Van der Dussen will captain the team in the absence of Aiden Markram, who is being rested along with key players like Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rabada, and Tristan Stubbs.

Conrad emphasized his desire to have South Africa's best players available whenever possible, a sentiment challenged by the modern cricket landscape.

"The all-format players had Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home [in November and December]," Conrad explained. "Then they had the SA20 [in January and February], then they went straight into an IPL that went on for a bit longer [from March to June]. Then we had the WTC final [at Lord's this month]. Their last few months have been chock-a-block."

He further added, "If you cast your eye on what the next few months look like for us, starting with this series and then a couple of days after that we go to Australia [in August, for white-ball series] and England [in September, also for white-ball rubbers], we felt it was the best thing for them to freshen up."

While Burger and Coetzee have recovered from their respective injuries, Nortje's stress-related back problem has kept him out of contention. This injury raises concerns about the future of the fast bowler's career.

"It's the second or third stress reaction in his back," Conrad said. "So of course it's something to be concerned about. But there's still a long way to go to make a decision in terms of how we're going to go forward. We're definitely not going to draw a line through his name."

Conrad remains optimistic, stating, "He's only 31, and we're going to give him every chance to get back on his feet and fight back. We're going to see how things develop and what the medical staff feel is the path forward and how it's going to look."

Nortje, who last played for South Africa in June 2024, has earned 83 international caps since his debut in 2019. However, injuries and his focus on franchise cricket have limited his appearances.

On a brighter note, Lhuan-dre Pretorius is making his mark on the international stage. "He's a special breed, the type of player who announces themselves on the biggest stage," Conrad commented. "He did really well in the under-19 World Cup and he debuted in the SA20 and was phenomenal. He's played first-class cricket for the Titans, and he scored a hundred on debut and a hundred in the final. That says there's something special about him."

Pretorius was South Africa's leading run-scorer at both the 2023 Under-19 World Cup and this year's SA20. He also scored centuries on his first-class debut and in the final for the Titans.