South Africa speedster Anrich Nortje who is making a comeback from injuries, believes that the Proteas have a good chance of defeating Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is scheduled to take place later this year in England. Anrich Nortje recently featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after recovering from a serious back injury.
Anrich Nortje hopes to make his Test cricket comeback in the 2025-26 season. The Proteas fast bowler took a break from the longest format in 2024-25 to focus on white-ball cricket, but missed the Champions Trophy due to a back injury.
A fractured toe then ruled him out of the home series against Pakistan as well as the SA20. Anrich Nortje returned to action for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Punjab Kings on 15 April, taking 1-23 in three overs, but has not been selected since. It was his first major appearance since the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India, where he was South Africa’s highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in nine matches.
Anrich Nortje’s injury history and potential comeback
It was only on Monday that South Africa announced their squad for the tournament. Anrich Nortje, who hasn’t played international cricket since June last year, was the major talking point.
Injuries have often come at the worst possible moments for Anrich Nortje. Anrich Nortje has been on a break from red-ball cricket to build his fitness after suffering a stress fracture in his back in 2023, which had kept him out of the last ICC ODI event — the World Cup. Anrich Nortje missed the 2019 edition due to a broken thumb. He looked in sublime form in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and Barbados and was seen notching vintage speeds in franchise cricket, too.
Anrich Nortje is not in line to recover ahead of the 50-over tournament, which the Proteas will begin on 21 February against Afghanistan in Karachi, Pakistan. South Africa will announce his replacement in due course. Anrich Nortje also missed South Africa’s previous participation in an ICC event – the Cricket World Cup in 2023 in India – due to a stress fracture in his back. The 31-year-old’s steady variation, bounce and pace have been pivotal in South Africa’s pace unit in the white-ball format, proven by his 36 wickets in 22 ODIs and 53 wickets in 42 T20Is.
The right-arm speedster’s last outing in the ODI format came over 15 months ago, in the Proteas’ second ODI against Australia in Bloemfontein. South Africa has largely stuck with the core group that powered them to the semi-finals of the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, retaining 10 of the 15 players for the Champions Trophy.
Anrich Nortje hasn’t played a Test since 2023, as he took a break from the longest format of the game last year has picked up 70 wickets in 19 Test outings. Ahead of the WTC final, which will take place from June 11 to 15, Anrich Nortje believes that playing in English conditions at Lord’s is something that the Proteas are well accustomed to.
Lord’s has been a good ground for South Africa- Anrich Nortje
As the blockbuster clash between mace-holders Australia and South Africa draws near, interest in the cricketing world grows on how the two sides stack up before the final. Versatile South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje only recently returned from a serious back injury when turning out in the Indian Premier League, but the 31-year-old has experience aplenty in the Proteas Test setup with 70 scalps from his 19 Tests.
While Anrich Nortje hasn’t played a Test since 2023 having taken a break from the longest format last year, the fast bowler still managed to provide some insight into how he expects the one-off Test at Lord’s will pan out. Anrich Nortje gave a two-fold reason for expecting South Africa’s first ICC Men’s trophy since 1998 will come against Australia, with the right-armer indicating that playing in English conditions at Lord’s is something that the Proteas are well accustomed to.
South Africa have won five of their last seven contests at the iconic London venue, with their most recent success coming in form of an innings win against England in 2022.
“Lord’s has been a good ground for South Africa. I think the team’s done really well there over the past,” Nortje said in an interview with Hindustan Times.
“It’s an exciting time. It’s obviously a massive tournament and a massive opportunity for South Africa. So we’re really excited to see how that can pan out.”