South Africa T20I Squad Named for Zimbabwe Tri-Series; Nortje's Injury Woes Continue

South Africa has unveiled its squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe, featuring the return of Rassie van der Dussen, Nandre Burger, and Gerald Coetzee. The team also welcomes Lhuan-dre Pretorius, alongside Corbin Bosch, Rubin Hermann, and Senuran Muthusamy making their debut in the format. However, Anrich Nortje will be absent due to injury concerns.

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 in line to earn their first T20I caps.

Team Management Changes

While Shukri Conrad has been South Africa's red-ball coach since January 2023, he takes over white-ball duties from Rob Walter for this series. Walter will be coaching New Zealand.

Conrad expressed his anticipation for the series and reconnecting with Walter. "I look forward to catching up with Rob," Conrad stated during the squad announcement. "We've been chatting, and we're going to share a nice sparkling water. He's got valuable insights into our squad, which makes the tri-series all the more spicy."

Van der Dussen to Captain

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

Player Rest and Workload Management

Conrad emphasized the importance of having South Africa's best players available whenever possible. The decision to rest several key players reflects the demanding schedule faced by all-format cricketers.

"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 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."

Nortje's Injury Concerns

While Burger and Coetzee have recovered from injuries, Anrich Nortje remains sidelined with a stress-related back problem. This latest setback raises concerns about the long-term future of the fast bowler.

"It's the second or third stress reaction in his back," Conrad commented. "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 affirmed the team's support for Nortje: "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 83 international caps. Since his debut in 2019, he has only participated in less than 40% of South Africa's matches, primarily due to injuries and his focus on franchise cricket.

Spotlight on Lhuan-dre Pretorius

Among the newcomers, Lhuan-dre Pretorius has garnered significant attention. "He's a special breed, the type of player who announces themselves on the biggest stage," Conrad said. "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 the 2023 under-19 World Cup and the recent SA20 tournament. He also scored centuries on his first-class debut and in the final for the Titans.