South Africa suffered a double blow on the eve of departure for the World Cup in India on Wednesday when fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala both failed to recover from injuries and will have to be replaced before the squad leaves on Saturday.
It was a particularly bitter pill to swallow for Nortje who also missed the 2019 tournament with a last-minute injury while Magala’s chronic knee injury saw him miss out on his first World Cup.
Nortje’s raw pace will be badly missed by the Proteas but the back spasms which limited him to just five overs in the recent series against Australia proved to be more serious than had been initially hoped.
Allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo is expected to be one of the replacements having showed his potential during the final one-day international against Australia at the Wanderers on Sunday with a match-changing innings of 39 not out from just 19 balls.
The 27-year-old has been in the cricket doldrums for a couple of years during which he did not attract a bidder at the inaugural SA20 Player Auction and then lost his national contract.
But he has reacted with determination to the setbacks, worked hard on his physical fitness and skills and now has an unexpected opportunity to return to the biggest stage in the game.
Lizaad Williams, having played in the T20I series which preceded the ODI series, is likely to replace Nortje.
Despite not having anything like Nortje’s pace Williams is one of the most consistent and accurate seamers in the country and has the backing of the captain, Temba Bavuma, and the coaching staff.
