Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee recently faced a hamstring problem during the ongoing SA20 Test which has depleted South Africa's fast bowling stock ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
It is a big blow for South Africa as Coetzee was seen as a replacement for experienced fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who was ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a back injury.
Gerald Coetzee was not selected in South Africa's preliminary squad for the tournament with Anrich Nortje being preferred over him. Both are similar types of bowlers and are capable of batting at high speeds. However, the injury of both of them will affect the composition of the team.
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Gerald Coetzee is a doubt to win the Champions Trophy
Gerald Coetzee did not feature for Joburg Super Kings in the match against Pretoria Capitals in SA20. According to ESPNCricinfo, Coetzee has a hamstring problem and is likely to miss the tournament for a few weeks now which makes his participation in the Champions Trophy highly doubtful.
While his fitness is being closely monitored, it remains unlikely that he will be able to make any further appearances at SA20. News of his injury is not official yet but it is believed that he has just returned from injury and was expected to be included in the starting lineup for this match.
Although he did not play this match, he played in the Super Kings' last match against the Super Giants in Durban which was played at Kingsmead, Durban. This was his first professional match since the Test match against Sri Lanka at the same ground in which he suffered a thigh injury.
As a result he was ruled out of the entire international summer. He made his return via a game against the Titans in October. He looked fitter and quicker on the return and also played all the T20Is against India. He took 4-85 in the first Test against Sri Lanka before being dropped again.
Fast bowling reserves in South Africa
South Africa's white-ball coach Rob Walter previously revealed that Gerald Coetzee was a candidate for a place in South Africa's 2025 Champions Cup squad. However, Nortje's experience has given him the edge over Coetzee.
If the 24-year-old can somehow regain fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy, he is likely to travel to Pakistan for the tournament as a replacement for Enrich Nortje. If Coetzee is deemed unfit, South Africa will have to dig deep into their fast bowling reserves.
Kwena Maphaka, Corbin Bosch and Ottniel Baartman are some of the options that could be picked for the Champions Trophy. Maphaka recently impressed on his Test debut and is seen as the future of South Africa's fast bowling after Kagiso Rabada.
Bosch recently made his ODI debut and is also a capable batsman in the order. Meanwhile, Bartman has excellent bowling skills which makes him a tempting option for the Indian subcontinent.
South Africa's Champions Cup 2025 schedule
South Africa is in Group Two of the Champions Cup, alongside England, Australia and Afghanistan. The team will begin its campaign with a match against Afghanistan on February 21 in Karachi.
The Proteas will next play Australia and England on February 25 and March 1 respectively. South Africa's recent performance in the ICC tournaments has been impressive. They have reached the finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup and have also managed to qualify for the World Test Championship final where they will face Australia at Lord's.
