South Africa’s bowling stocks have taken another hit after Gerald Coetzee, who was expected to be named as Anrich Nortje’s replacement in the the Champions Trophy squad, was left out of the Joburg Super Kings XI to play Pretoria Capitals in the SA20. Coetzee has a hamstring issue and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the SA20 on Sunday.

Coetzee had played JSK’s previous match against Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead, which was his first competitive game since the Test against Sri Lanka in Durban, where he injured his groin. He was ruled out of the rest of the international summer, after he had come back from a hip niggle and a 12-week conditioning block. He did not play any cricket between a game at the MLC in July (his only one in the competition) and a domestic match for the Titans in October. Then, he appeared fitter and faster than before, playing in all four of South Africa’s T20I fixtures against India, and took 4 for 85 in the first Test against Sri Lanka before he was ruled out again.

It was confirmed by South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter that Coetzee had been in line for a Champions Trophy place but left out in favour of the more experienced Nortje. With Nortje sidelined with a back problem and Coetzee now injured as well, Walter, who is the sole selector of the team, will have to mine the depths of the reserves.

With Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder already in the squad, Walter could look to 18-year old tearaway Kwena Maphaka or South Africa’s most recent ODI cap, Corbin Bosch, if he is looking for pace or may have to move away from that entirely. Death-bowling specialist Ottneil Baartman is another option with almost everyone else in contention currently injured.