South Africa’s cricket team is facing tough times on their England tour, with yet another injury striking just before their first T20I match. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who was all set to play in Cardiff, had to pull out at the last minute due to a groin injury during warm-ups. Captain Aiden Markram shared the bad news after their thrilling 14-run win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Maharaj had made a strong comeback to the T20I squad after sitting out recent series in Australia and Zimbabwe. Stepping up in his place was Corbin Bosch, who helped the Proteas secure the victory despite the setback.
The injuries keep piling up for South Africa cricket. Earlier today, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi was officially sidelined for the entire T20I series with a right hamstring strain. He’s heading back home on Thursday and now has a tight race to recover for their big upcoming task: defending the World Test Championship title in Pakistan from October 12.
To strengthen their pace bowling attack, left-armer Nandre Burger has been called up and will join the team for the second T20I at Old Trafford on Friday.
This isn’t the first blow this week. David Miller was already ruled out after picking up a hamstring injury during the final stretch of The Hundred tournament. The team hasn’t named a replacement for him yet.
On a brighter side, the rain-shortened game in Cardiff brought back some star bowlers for South Africa. Kagiso Rabada, recovering from ankle inflammation, kicked off the bowling. Marco Jansen returned after thumb surgery following the WTC final in June, and Lizaad Williams rejoined the squad after knee surgery kept him out for months. Jansen bowled two overs, but Williams didn’t get a chance to bowl in this match.
With these South Africa injuries shaking up the T20I series against England, fans are hoping the team can bounce back strong. Keep an eye on how they handle the pace department in the next game!
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