Proteas fans must wait until the conclusion of the ODI series against Australia to see Heinrich Nortje in the national team. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has kept the possibility of bringing the fast bowler back into the ODI squad, despite his absence from the 16-man squad that will play against Australia at the end of the month.
As leading pace specialist Kagiso Rabada is excluded from the ODI series due to a hamstring injury, Conrad sought a way to add pace to the team to counter the Australians. Notably, Nortje's last ODI series against Australia was in 2023, although he previously played for Proteas in the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year.
The 32-year-old player, known as the 'Uitenhage Express', currently plays for 'Rotterdam Dockers' in the ETPL, where he recently added his first five-wicket haul in T20 to his record. However, Conrad believes the seamer needs more training cycles before returning to the Proteas ODI squad.
Conrad explained that he does not think Nortje is sufficiently prepared for ODI cricket, but he does not rule out the possibility that the player might not play in the series in Bangladesh. Instead, the Proteas mentor decided to call up pace colleague Gerald Coetzee for the Australian series.
Coetzee had also been in the 'ODI drought' since the 2023 World Cup, where he replaced an injured Nortje in the squad. The 25-year-old athlete has faced injury issues over the past three years, but he is currently part of the South Africa A team, which gives Conrad confidence that the 'Karate Kid' is healthy and ready to play.
Conrad noted that he hopes Coetzee has overcome all injuries and emphasized that the player had a good winter period, played a four-day match for the A team, and participated in several overs in a rain-affected match. He stated that Coetzee is on the right track regarding preparation, and he is very pleased with the player's current condition. He added that the first-class matches with the A team were important, and now they have excellent options like Gerald, Ana, and the 'express pace' to build the team for next year.
Furthermore, Conrad provided information on Rabada's progress in the hope that he can participate in the Test matches against Australia, which start on October 9th in Durban. He reported that there have been no significant changes since the last examination. Rabada is absent from ODIs, and his condition is constantly monitored as part of his rehabilitation. Conrad believes that the final decision on including him in the Test squad will only be made after the selection meeting.
Nevertheless, he noted that Rabada is showing good progress, submitting reports from all physiotherapists he works with. Conrad expressed satisfaction with his condition and stressed that he is a very important player based on his statistics. He expressed hope for a successful completion of the rehabilitation process and medical examinations.