Coetzee’s woeful Wednesday … in, then out of Proteas squad

Hours after being included in the Proteas squad for a triangular ODI series in Pakistan, Gerald Coetzee, was forced to withdraw because of injury, finally ending his chances of playing in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Coetzee was training at Cricket SA’s Centre of Excellence in Tshwane when he felt tightness in his groin and was immediately ruled out of the tri series, involving Pakistan and New Zealand.

Coetzee was due to play in SA’s opening match of that competition on Monday, and should he have come through it, coupled with managing his workloads at training sessions and participation in another pretournament warm-up match on February 17, he would have been included in the Proteas squad for the Champions Trophy.

After undertaking a three-month strength and condition programme before the season, Coetzee has only played four T20s and one Test, injuring his groin in the latter. That ailment kept him out of the remaining Proteas Tests this summer. He played just one match in the SA20 for the Joburg Super Kings and was dropped from their squad due to the same injury.

The latest mishap is a devastating blow to Coetzee, who was bowling at close to full tilt during Wednesday morning’s training session. He was due to leave as part of a 12-man group later in the evening.

Instead, Rob Walter will have to put his thinking cap on once again. Already having to cope with six new caps, while selecting a squad for the tri series that doesn’t include players still involved in the SA20, he must now find a replacement for Coetzee, who was being lined up as the replacement for Anrich Nortjé.

Nortjé was initially selected for the Champions Trophy but was forced to withdraw with a lower back ailment.

Among the options Walter will consider include Kwena Maphaka, despite him struggling with consistency in the SA20, Lutho Sipamla, who has been superb for the Joburg Super Kings after getting a late call-up as Coetzee’s replacement and Ottneil Baartman, who after a slow start is finding good form for the Sunrisers.

With those selection problems to deal with, the last thing Walter needs — besides another injury — is concerns over the form of a player who is in the Champions Trophy squad. Walter tread carefully when discussing Lungi Ngidi, who has bowled only 16 overs for the Paarl Royals in five matches.

“I would have loved it if he could play every game, but that’s not been the case,” Walter said of Ngidi’s involvement in the SA20.

“He’s highly experienced. We trust he can lean on that experience. To be fair, in T20 cricket he’s probably doing a very different role to what he would be doing for us in an ODI space.”

Yet, Ngidi hasn’t looked threatening for the Royals and it’s been noticeable that other, less experienced players including Maphaka and the Australian import Mitchell Owen have been entrusted with the “death” overs, something Ngidi was usually tasked with.

His limited match time in the past five months has clearly not helped. Ngidi has bowled 42 overs in the six ODIs he has played since last September’s tour to the UAE. He played in only one T20 International against Ireland and missed all four of SA’s summer Tests and the T20 series against India with a groin injury.

“We’re hoping — depending on what the Royals do in SA20 — that he will get two, maybe three games in the tri series, where he’ll get some game time in the middle. We also have a warm-up game on [February 17]. There is time for him to bowl in competitive matches.”

The logistical challenges created by the conclusion of the SA20 and the start of the tri series, means players will be joining the Proteas squad in instalments. After Wednesday night’s eliminator clash between the Joburg Super Kings and the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the players from the losing team could be heading for Pakistan as soon as Thursday.

Special dispensation has been given to seven players, including new dad David Miller, Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram who are all in the Champions Trophy squad, to travel to Pakistan on February 14.

Keshav Maharaj and Heinrich Klaasen, part of the Durban Super Giants team that was eliminated after the round-robin phase of the SA20, will miss Monday’s match and head straight to Karachi for the clash with Pakistan on February 12.

SA begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Afghanistan on February 21.

Proteas Squad Tri-nation Series — ODI against New Zealand: Temba Bavuma (capt), Eathan Bosch, Matthew Breetzke*, Junior Dala, Wiaan Mulder, Mihlali Mpongwana*, Senuran Muthusamy*, Gideon Peters*, Meeka-eel Prince*, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne. *Uncapped