As Gerald Coetzee was ruled out of the SA20 over the weekend, it paints a bleak picture of the fast bowling stocks for the Proteas at the moment.
A bleak picture for the fitness of the bowlers, not the talent that is. The talent is there, in huge numbers.
With the Champions Trophy starting next month, the Proteas need to find another fast bowler to add to their squad.
Just last week, Anrich Nortje was ruled out of both the SA20 and the Champions Trophy. That came just a couple days after he was included in the squad for the tournament, after scans revealed a back injury he would not be able to recover from in time.
Like for like
Coetzee, meanwhile, was seen as the obvious replacement for Nortje. The 24-year-old Coetzee who also provides some heavy-hitting with the willow down the order, himself had only recently returned from the injury he picked up in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban in November.
After one game in the SA20 for the Joburg Super Kings, Coetzee was ruled out for the remainder of the competition.
Despite his injury, Cricket SA (CSA) said Coetzee still remains in contention for Proteas selection for the Champions Trophy. The young quick is currently struggling with a hamstring problem, and even if he recovers in time it could be a gamble to take him to the Champions Trophy.
Other Proteas seamers Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams are out with long-term injuries.
Ngidi and Baartman return to playing
Lungi Ngidi and Ottniel Baartman have also been dealing recently with injuries, but are now both back to playing. Whether they are back to full fitness remains to be seen.
Baartman has played four games in the SA20 for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, while Ngidi has played three matches for the Paarl Royals. Baartman has picked up five wickets so far, while Ngidi has just one to date.
With Ngidi already part of the Proteas squad for the Champions Trophy, Baartman may just end up getting on that plane.
Still, it will be a nervous wait until the end of the SA20 to see how their fast bowling stocks are affected by injury.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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