Maphaka called up for Proteas as Coetzee suffers another injury blow

01 December 2024 - 15:05 By Stuart Hess
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Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the remainder of the international season with a groin injury.
Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the remainder of the international season with a groin injury.
Image: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images

The Proteas suffered another major injury blow, with fast bowler Gerald Coetzee ruled out of the remainder of the international season with a groin injury. 

Coetzee, felt discomfort while bowling during Sri Lanka's second innings in the first Test at Kingsmead on Saturday, and underwent scans on Sunday, which revealed a right groin muscle strain. His recovery period is expected to be between four and six weeks. 

That means he will miss the second Test against Sri Lanka that starts in Gqeberha on Thursday, along with the entirety of the Pakistan tour which will start next week. 

Coetzee's place in the Test squad will be taken by 18 year old left arm fast bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka, who days after completing his matric exams, took six wickets for the DP World Lions in their Four-Day series win over the Warriors at the Wanderers. 

That was only the third first class match Maphaka has played, with the Lions and SA cricket having carefully managing his development. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad had called up Maphaka for the SA A side last year, where he played his first red ball match on a tour to Sri Lanka. 

Maphaka, who earned his first international cap in the Proteas T20 side against the West Indies in August, is already being lined up as the poster boy for season 3 of the SA20, which starts in January. He will play for the Paarl Royals in that tournament. Last week the Rajasthan Royals paid R3.23-million for Maphaka to represent them in next year's Indian Premier League.

The injury will be a bitter pill for Coetzee to swallow. The Durban match was only his fourth Test, and it is already the second time that a severe injury has curtailed his progress. Last he strained a side muscle and missed the second Test against India.

He has just completed a 12-week strength and conditioning programme, before the start of the South African season, and the first Test with Sri Lanka, was his first since the Boxing Day match last year. 

Coetzee bowled 16 overs across Sri Lanka's two innings in Durban, taking four wickets, which included a vital breakthrough on Saturday afternoon, when he removed the touring team's skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, after a frustrating morning for the Proteas. 

South Africa's fast bowling stocks are worryingly thin, ahead of three more Tests, and a full series with Pakistan, which also includes three ODIs and three T20 Internationals. 

Coetzee joins an injury list that includes Nandre Burger (stress fracture), Lungi Ngidi (groin) and Wiaan Mulder (broken finger).


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