Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the three match test series against India due to persistent injuries.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday announced the news through their official twitter handle. Anrich Nortje who has been a vital cog for SA in the past couple of years has been ruled out of the entire series. The 28-year-old hasn’t bowled since the T20 World Cup in November.
“He (Nortje) has unfortunately not recovered adequately for the expected Test match bowling loads and is currently consulting with specialists to manage and advise on his recovery. No replacement will be brought in,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Tuesday.
CSA’s chief medical officer Dr. Shuaib Manjra told ESPNcricinfo that Anrich Nortje is undergoing rehabilitation and is aiming to be ready for the ODIs against India which is scheduled to start from January 19.
This is a huge blow to the Proteas as Nortje is their leading wicket taker in tests. Nortje has taken 25 wickets in 5 tests at an average of 20.76 with a career best figure of 6/56 against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg.
No replacement will be made for the 28-year-old fast bowler. The squad consists of seven seamers at the moment. Duanne Olivier is set to make a comeback in the longest format of the game. Duanne Olivier is the leading wicket taker in the domestic format with 28 wickets at an average of 11.14. He is likely to pair up with Kagiso Rabada.
The first of the three tests will begin from December 26 at Centurion. This is South Africa’s first test series since their tour to the Caribbean nation earlier this year in July.