PROTEAS fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has returned home to South Africa after his Indian Premier League franchise, the Punjab Kings, ruled him out of the two remaining round robin fixtures due to injury and released him from the squad.
Niggles are regular occurrences for big fast bowlers who put their bodies through immense stress during every run-up, delivery stride and follow-through.
Surprisingly, Rabada has had very few injury-enforced breaks in his career – and that is partly due to the high fitness levels he has maintained over the years and an almost flawless bowling action.
However, this time around, the 28-year-old was diagnosed with a “lower limb soft tissue infection”, as per Cricket South Africa’s statement yesterday.
“Rabada has returned home from the Indian Premier League due to a lower limb soft tissue infection. The 28-year-old consulted a specialist on arrival in South Africa, and is being closely monitored by the Cricket South Africa medical team,” a CSA statement read.
“His preparation for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA are not expected to be affected.”
Rabada is the leader of the Proteas attack and him not being ruled out of the T20 World Cup at this stage brings a lot of relief for coach Rob Walter and the entire team.
Of the five quicks in the Proteas T20 World Cup squad – Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortjé and Rabada – the latter has played more consistently than the rest as he played every single game for MI Cape Town in the SA20 earlier this year.
He also played in 11 of the 14 games that the Punjab Kings have completed in the 2024 edition of the IPL.
All year, Rabada has maintained an economy rate of eight runs to the over, and has taken 20 wickets between the SA20 and IPL.
With the fast bowler back home and being monitored by the Cricket SA medical team, that means he is likely to join up with the Proteas squad that will play three T20s against the West Indies next week earlier than planned.
The Proteas squad going to the Caribbean has been together all week as coach Walter is hosting a camp in Pretoria to help prepare the players for next week’s series and the T20 World Cup for those who will be a part of the showpiece event, including Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton.
Proteas Training Camp In Session 🏏🔥#OutOfThisWorld #WozaNawe #T20WorldCup #WIVSA pic.twitter.com/KkZLZgSiL8
Yesterday, the Proteas squad lost a warm-up match by seven wickets to the Emerging XI side, courtesy of heroics by young batters Jordan Hermann (67) and Andile Mogakane (58 not out).
The Emerging XI chased down a target of 178, a total that Proteas batter Rassie van der Dussen contributed to the most with a solid 65-ball 67.
The Proteas squad is set to leave for the Caribbean later this week as the first T20I of the series gets under way next week Thursday, May 23.
South Africa’s T20 World Cup opener will be against Sri Lanka on June 3 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
Proteas T20 World Cup Squad
Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortjé, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
Travelling Reserves: Nandré Burger, Lungi Ngidi.
Proteas Provisional Squad For West Indies
Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.