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Nortje cracks nod for Proteas Champions Trophy squad as Walter packs in experienced players

Nortje cracks nod for Proteas Champions Trophy squad as Walter packs in experienced players
Lungi Ngidi of the Proteas during the 1st Betway One Day International match between South Africa and Australia at Mangaung Oval on September 07, 2023 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Charle Lombard/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
13 Jan 2025
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Anrich Nortje will make his return to one-day international cricket after a 15-month absence at next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

White-ball coach Rob Walter has announced his 15-player squad for the Champions Trophy being hosted in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month.

Anrich Nortje is the only real surprise selection with the express quick having not played international cricket since the T20 World Cup final in June last year. 

Nortje’s last one-day international appearance was in September 2023 against Australia in which he suffered a stress fracture that kept him out of the Cricket World Cup in India that year.

It will be Nortje’s first major 50-over tournament for South Africa, having missed the 2019 Cricket World Cup after suffering a fractured thumb before that edition of the tournament in England.

The rest of Walter’s squad is flooded with experience. Quinton de Kock (retired) and Gerald Coetzee are the only two members of the playing XI who played in the three-wicket loss to Australia in the semi-final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup who are not part of the squad.

Nortje was in the white-ball squads to face Pakistan in their recently concluded series, but was withdrawn before the first T20I after suffering a toe injury.

Walter confirmed that Nortje edged Coetzee in selection through experience despite Coetzee having “done nothing wrong to not be selected”.

Other Proteas players who were unlucky to miss out on selection, according to Walter, include Bjorn Fortuin, Andile Phehlukwayo, Ottniel Baartman and Kwena Maphaka.

“The quality of the guys missing out gives you a good indication of where you’re at as a squad,” Walter said.

Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi are selected as the two spinners in the squad, while Wiaan Mulder joins Marco Jansen as a pace-bowling all-rounder option.

Tournament team


On the batting front, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs are the only ones with a handful of caps in the format.

Otherwise it’s spearheaded by the experience of skipper Temba Bavuma, the reliable Rassie van der Dussen and the explosive middle order of Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.

In total, there are nine players in the Proteas squad with more than 40 ODI caps.

Many of the aforementioned experienced players have not been available across Walter’s two-year white-ball tenure in bilateral cricket. This has contributed to his poor record outside of major international tournaments.

It has, however, given him a larger pool of players to select players from for tournaments such as the Champions Trophy because of the experience being built in the senior players’ absence.

Temba Bavuma in action against Australia at Mangaung Oval on 7 September 2023 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo: Charle Lombard / Gallo Images / Getty Images)



“In terms of giving other guys an opportunity, was it worth it? Absolutely.” Walter said. “Some of it was out of our control based on injuries and unavailability, and also making the best decisions for our entirety, which included the Test side and the position they were in to go and do something special, which they did.

“Those factors and all that put together created those opportunities. And then also building, building up bench strength.

“That whole process doesn’t happen overnight. We only have a certain amount of games in a year; you have to use them over a three-year period to try to build that bench strength.”

Despite this, Walter is confident his side can perform well at the Champions Trophy as they have done at major tournaments in the past. South Africa were knocked out at the semi-final stage of the ODI World Cup in 2023 and were runners up at the 20-over World Cup in West Indies and US last year.

“Our recent performances at ICC events show we’re capable of reaching the latter stages of global tournaments,” he said. “We’re eager to take the next step and go further in pursuit of the silverware.”

The Proteas start their tournament against Afghanistan on 21 February 2025. They will also face England and Australia in the group stages. DM

Proteas Champions Trophy squad:


Temba Bavuma (capt), 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, Rassie van der Dussen

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