South Africa quick Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the 2025 Champions Trophy due to a back injury.
Nortje, the 31-year-old right-arm fast bowler, will also miss the remaining matches of the ongoing SA20 league. He last played internationals in June, featuring in the India-South Africa 2024 T20 World Cup final.
What happened to Nortje?
Adding to his long list of fitness woes, Nortje has suffered from a back injury that ruled him out of the 50-over competition. He was supposed to mark his return with the Pakistan white-ball series in February, but was ruled out due to a broken toe.
The back injury also rules him out of Pretoria Capitals' SA20 campaign: he did not play a game this season, but was supposed to use it as a testing ground before the ICC tournament. He last played competitive cricket during the Abu Dhabi T10 League across November and December, before featuring in the CSA T20 Challenge.
According to a CSA press release, Nortje went for scans earlier this week, and "is not expected to recover in time for the 50-over tournament."
