The South Africa team is bolstered by the return of pace spearheads Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi. Anrich Nortje will make his first appearance in the 50-over format since September 2023 as he was absent from the squad due to a stress fracture in his back, which forced him out of action in the World Cup 2023 and Protea’s summer series. South Africa on Monday announced a Temba Bavuma-led 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 with an aim to build on their powerful recent form.
Meanwhile, Lungi Ngidi is also making a comeback after missing international action since October 2024 due to a groin injury. South Africa picked an experienced 15-man squad for next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan with 10 players having competed at the last World Cup in India in late 2023.
South Africa have decided on retaining a fair amount of their team members from the 2023 Men’s CWC, who had taken them to the semi-final. A total of 10 of the 15 players from the tournament have remained, further pointing out that the team indeed had faith in the core.
Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi return in South Africa’s Temba Bavuma-led Champions Trophy 2025 squad
Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have been selected in South Africa’s ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy after missing the entire home international season with injuries. Anrich Nortje was due to play in the white-ball matches against Pakistan but missed out with a broken toe, while Ngidi was ruled out ahead of the summer with a groin injury.
Ngidi has since made his return at the SA20 for Paarl Royals while Anrich Nortje is due to play for Pretoria Capitals in the coming weeks and both are fully fit ahead of a busy 2025. The Champions Trophy will be their first international cricket in seven and four months respectively.
Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa in the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to start on February 19. Cricket South Africa took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, January 13, to announce the 15-member squad for the eight-team tournament, which also includes fast bowler Anrich Nortje. The 31-year-old pacer Anrich Nortje last played a 50-over match for the South African team in Bloemfontein on September 9, 2023.
“White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan from 19 February – 09 March. One-Day International captain Temba Bavuma will lead the full-strength squad, which includes 10 players who competed in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, where South Africa reached the semi-finals.
Batters Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs, along with all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, have been selected for their first senior 50-over ICC tournament,” Cricket South Africa tweeted.
The 15-member squad will be led by Temba Bavuma and includes ten players who were part of the group that qualified for the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Of the newcomers, Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton will be playing their first senior ICC event while Nortje returns in place of the most notable omission Gerald Coetzee, who has also struggled with injuries.
Coetzee was put on a 12-week conditioning block after last year’s Major League Cricket (MLC) and returned at the start of the season before suffering a groin injury in the Durban Test against Sri Lanka. He has not returned to play but is part of the Joburg Super Kings squad at the SA20 and was in contention for a Champions Trophy spot, after finishing as South Africa’s leading bowler at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Kagiso Rabada to lead the pace attack which includes Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi return after injuries
Kagiso Rabada will lead the pace attack of the 1998 Champions Trophy winners and will have Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and Wiaan Mulder for support. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi are the two spinners picked in the squad.
South Africa will have five frontline quicks in Anrich Nortje, Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder at their disposal – with no room for Andile Phehlukwayo – and two specialist spinners, along with Aiden Markram’s offspin. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have kept their places but left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin misses out because South Africa “just didn’t feel the need for an extra spinner”.
Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Tony De Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, and David Miller, along with Bavuma, are seven specialist batters, whereas Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickleton are two wicketkeepers.
A more interesting selection conundrum could come in their top order, where South Africa will be without Quinton de Kock at an ICC event for the first time since 2014. De Kock retired from ODIs after the 2023 ODI World Cup and South Africa have not really settled on a partner for Bavuma in his absence but Walter gave some indication of what they are considering.
“This squad boasts a wealth of experience, with many players having consistently performed in high-pressure situations. That kind of experience is invaluable in a tournament like this. We’ve managed to maintain the core group of our 2023 World Cup squad, whilst adding fresh talent,“ speaking on the squad announcement, Head coach Rob Walter said as quoted by ICC.
“Our recent performances at ICC events show that we’re capable of reaching the latter stages of global tournaments. We’re eager to take the next step and go even further in pursuit of the coveted silverware,“ he added.
South Africa have tasted success in the Champions Trophy only once, and that was in the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1998. South Africa is part of Group B in the Champions Trophy and will open its campaign on February 21 against Afghanistan at National Stadium in Karachi. The African team’s second Group B match against Australia is scheduled to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on February 25, and on March 1, South Africa will face England at National Stadium in Karachi.
South Africa’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Temba Bavuma (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Ryan Rickleton (WK), Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Tony De Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje.