Coetzee confirms bruised heel, as Proteas injury list lengthens

PROTEAS fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is currently healing from a heel bruise that he sustained during the South Africa ‘A’ Unofficial ODIs and joins the seemingly growing list of injured Proteas bowlers.

- ONGAMA GCWABE

Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad finds himself in a challenging situation with two senior bowlers, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj, currently nursing injuries.

The two sustained their injuries during the recently concluded tour of England.

With Coetzee also on the road to recovery, Conrad now has Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, who have also recently returned from injuries, to lead the attack in Pakistan next month, in what will be the team’s first Test series after being crowned the World Test Champions.

Coetzee is eyeing a return in the first or second round of the CSA Four-Day series, and given that the first round gets underway on September 25, it is unlikely that the 25-year-old will be match fit for the first Test against Pakistan, which is scheduled to start on October 12.

"I unfortunately bruised my heel, that's why I've not played these Four-Day games (against New Zealand ‘A’). But luckily, it's quite a normal thing to happen.