The Proteas’ hopes for the 2023 World Cup are uncertain, mirroring the tragic events that befell their forebears four years earlier.
Former coach Ottis Gibson had painstakingly put up a potent battery of fast bowlers in the run-up to the tournament in the United Kingdom, ready to unleash their wrath on the international stage. However, a sad turn of events occurred even before they left the country of South Africa.
When the Proteas leave for their trip to India in the present, the current coach, Rob Walter, is left to ardently pray that the past does not repeat itself. The departure is set for Saturday, but there is still some doubt over Anrich Nortje health and that of the mysterious Sisanda Magala. Both players earned their spots in the 15-man World Cup roster, but their recent performance history raises questions.
Anrich Nortje and Magala have each only appeared in one one-day international over the eight tough white-ball matches against Australia over the last month. In a race against time that has spectators on the edge of their seats, their availability for the major event depends on their capacity to demonstrate their fitness by Friday.
Coach Walter doesn’t appear optimistic that his pacers would make it to the main event while saying, “We would have wanted them out there.”
at the second One-Day International against Australia at Bloemfontein, Nortje’s brief comeback to the field was hampered by difficulty since he was forced to leave the action after only five tiresome overs. Later scans revealed a persistent lower back issue, forcing him to miss the rest of the series.
Magala’s condition, meantime, is just as hazardous as Nortje’s. He struggled through just four overs in his lone appearance in the third ODI before dropping off the selection radar. Coach Walter, who was well aware of the seriousness of the situation, expressed the growing worry by saying,
“We are constantly assessing the whereabouts of both of those players. A week before we board the aircraft for the World Cup, the fact that they weren’t playing today is definitely cause for concern. They would have been welcome to be present. Taking injured players to a World Cup presents challenges since you need a valid medical justification to replace them. Coach Walter remarked following the Proteas’ 3-2 series victory at the Wanderers.
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