Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi Rejoin South Africa's Squad for the Champions Trophy
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New Delhi, Jan 13 (NationPress) The fast bowling pair of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi has been reinstated to South Africa's ODI lineup for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which kicks off on February 19. South Africa is placed in Group B, competing against Afghanistan, Australia, and England.
Their inclusion in the Proteas ODI team comes after they were sidelined for the entire home international season due to injuries. While Nortje has fully recovered from a left toe injury, Ngidi is back on the field after healing from a groin injury.
Temba Bavuma will captain South Africa’s 15-member squad, which features ten players who participated in the semi-finals of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India. Notably, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Wiaan Mulder have received their first call-ups for a senior 50-over ICC tournament.
“This squad showcases a significant amount of experience, with many players having excelled in high-pressure scenarios. Such experience is crucial in tournaments like this. We’ve retained the core of our 2023 World Cup squad while infusing new talent,” remarked head coach Rob Walter.
“Our recent successes in ICC events indicate our potential to reach the later stages of global tournaments. We are enthusiastic about taking the next step in our quest for the coveted trophy,” Walter added.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has also announced that its high-performance batting lead Imraan Khan will join the support staff as batting coach for the Champions Trophy. “We anticipate Imraan's contribution to our support staff. He will be a significant asset as we aim to enhance our batting and evolve as a team,” Walter concluded.
South Africa will commence their tournament against Afghanistan on February 21 in Karachi, followed by a match against Australia in Rawalpindi on February 15. They will return to Karachi for their concluding group stage encounter against England on March 1.
The top two teams from groups A and B will advance to the semi-finals. This eight-team tournament will take place in Pakistan and the UAE, marking its first occurrence since 2017. Pakistan currently holds the trophy after defeating India in the final at the Oval.
CSA will announce the Proteas squad for the upcoming tri-series against hosts Pakistan and New Zealand, scheduled for February 8-14, in due course.
South Africa's squad for the Champions Trophy includes: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Rassie van der Dussen.
