South Africa T20I Squad Named for Zimbabwe Tri-Series; Nortje Ruled Out with Back Injury

South Africa has named their squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe, featuring Rassie van der Dussen, Nandre Burger, and Gerald Coetzee. Also included are Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Corbin Bosch, Rubin Hermann, and Senuran Muthusamy. However, Anrich Nortje will be absent due to a recurring back injury.

Anrich Nortje is out of the tri-series due to a back problem. © Getty

Van der Dussen returns to the South Africa squad after last playing in March, while Burger and Coetzee featured in August and November, respectively. Pretorius, Bosch, Hermann, and Muthusamy are all in line to make their T20I debuts.

The tri-series, which also involves New Zealand, is set to take place in Zimbabwe next month.

South Africa's coach Shukri Conrad expressed his excitement for the series. "I look forward to catching up with Rob," Conrad stated at the squad announcement press conference. "He's got valuable insights into our squad, which makes the tri-series all the more spicy."

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

Conrad emphasized his desire to have South Africa's best players available as often as possible but acknowledged the challenges posed by the modern cricketing landscape.

"The all-format players had Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home," Conrad explained. "Then they had the SA20, then they went straight into an IPL that went on for a bit longer. Then we had the WTC final. 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 and England, we felt it was the best thing for them to freshen up."

While Burger and Coetzee return from injury, the absence of Anrich Nortje due to a stress-related back problem raises concerns about his future.

"It's the second or third stress reaction in his back," Conrad confirmed. "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 added that Nortje, who is 31, will be given "every chance to get back on his feet and fight back."

Nortje last played for South Africa in June 2024.

On a brighter note, Conrad praised Lhuan-dre Pretorius, calling him "a special breed, the type of player who announces themselves on the biggest stage." Pretorius has impressed in the under-19 World Cup and the SA20, and has also scored a century on his first-class debut and in a final.

Pretorius was South Africa's highest run-scorer at the 2023 under-19 World Cup and at this year's SA20.