After his recent struggles, speedster Anrich Nortje is not far from getting back to his best, according to South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter. Walter, speaking ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, also gave an explanation for why Nortje was selected in the squad.
After recovering from an injury that kept him out of action for six months due to a stress fracture, the 30-year-old pacer has been struggling to find his form. Nortje was chosen in the Proteas 15-man T20 World Cup squad ahead of deft pacer Lungi Ngidi, despite his troubling form. The 28-year-old pacer’s lower back issue kept him out of the recently finished IPL.
Walter gave an explanation for South Africa’s decision to select Nortje over Ngidi, citing pace considerations. “The ideal is to use every person’s x-factor to the best of our ability. His x-factor is his pace so we are definitely always looking to use that 150-plus speed that he has,” Walter said.
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“They’ve been tough conditions for a fast bowler and [Nortje was] coming up against a side who were pretty brutal if you were off the mark. He probably experienced the exact same thing having come off a break into his first four games at the IPL. So he probably landed himself in a perfect storm, which in many ways can harden you and get you even more ready. I still don’t believe he’s very far away. A world-class performer finds a way and I don’t doubt that he will as well,” Walter said in a press conference on Tuesday as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
South Africa are placed in Group D and will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on June 3 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
