Litany of injuries to SA's fast bowlers makes Champions Trophy preparation tricky

13 December 2024 - 10:16
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Kwena Maphaka received his first call-up to the Proteas ODI squad for the series against Pakistan.
Kwena Maphaka received his first call-up to the Proteas ODI squad for the series against Pakistan.
Image: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images

To be a fast bowler in South Africa now is to be cursed.

Fingers, toes, hamstrings, groins and knees have been broken, pulled or strained, sidelining many of the nation’s quicks. 

Nandre Burger has a stress fracture that will see him miss the rest of the season, adding to a list that white ball coach Rob Walter on Thursday understatedly described as “longish”.  

It has made some carefully laid plans more challenging.

Walter and his Test counterpart Shukri Conrad have a tricky balance to strike between giving players Walter wants to pick for the Champions Trophy next year much needed game time in the three ODIs with Pakistan, while Conrad faces the pressing engagement of two Tests which will follow, to determine South Africa's fate in the World Test Championship. 

“We will continue to prioritise the Tests against Pakistan. The World Test Championship final is something we are striving for,” said Walter. 

He’s had the short end of the stick this summer when it comes to selecting the top players, but it had long been agreed that those players — which include Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada — would be available for the ODI series against the Pakistanis. 

It is Jansen and Rabada who will need to be more carefully managed, however, given the plethora of ailments which have struck down many of their contemporaries.

On Thursday, Anrich Nortjé’s name was added to a list that already included Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Burger and medium pacer Wiaan Mulder.

Nortje has a broken left big toe and will be out of action until at least January.

“There is still a long time between now and the Champions Trophy,” said Walter.

“I’ve got full faith that there is enough time for them to come back and play some SA20. There is enough, good, strong short format cricket available before we make a decision.” 

The Proteas also have a tri-series scheduled before the Champions Trophy, where they are due to face Pakistan and New Zealand. Players' availability for that series will depend on how their teams fare in the SA20, which is due to finish on February 9, three days before South Africa's first match in the triangular tournament. 

“The guys have played 50 overs cricket so I’m not too worried about them not playing in this [Pakistan] series. We would have loved to have been at full steam and see what everyone looks like, but from a fast bowling point of view we’ve been developing a band of bowlers of an [equal standard] and we will keep working at that,” said Walter.

The lengthy injury list means Kwena Maphaka earned his first call-up to an ODI squad just a week after receiving his first Test squad call-up.

His selection is in keeping with how his year has unfolded, which started with the SA U-19 team, then saw him picked for the Lions, followed by a surprising call-up to the IPL for the Mumbai Indians, his international debut in the West Indies and then a full time contract in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals, for R3.23m.

“We want to create as many opportunities as possible for him to play,” said Walter. 

Tabraiz Shamsi, who wasn’t part of the tour to the UAE in October and who, like Nortje, asked not to be considered for a national contract, also returned to the squad with Nqaba Peter omitted. 

“Nqaba is a young pup when it comes to bowling in international cricket and we have to allow him to grow at a decent rate. Tabraiz is ahead of him in 50 overs cricket.”

Among the top order batters, Walter hopes the same style and intent which proved to be so successful in India last year — and led to an unexpected run to the semifinals of the World Cup — can quickly be rekindled against Pakistan.

“The reality is all the guys who play in that position understand the type of player we need there.” 

Quinton de Kock, who retired from ODIs after the World Cup, was an important part of that plan being implemented and it will be up to Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton to take up the slack. 

“You don’t just replace Quinny,” said Walter. “Tony [de Zorzi] played excellently against India when they were here last season in 50 overs cricket. Ryan Rickelton is backup keeper but if he plays, he plays in a similar way. We might try a few different combinations — Temba is a consistent part of that, but everyone understands how we want to play in that space.”


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