Gerald Coetzee confirms bruised heel, as Proteas injury list lengthens

Proteas fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is currently healing from a heel bruise that he sustained during the South Africa ‘A’ Unofficial ODIs and joins the seemingly growing list of injured Proteas bowlers.

Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad finds himself in a challenging situation with two senior bowlers, Lungi Ngidi and Keshav Maharaj, currently nursing injuries. The two sustained their injuries during the recently concluded tour of England.

With Coetzee also on the road to recovery, Conrad now has Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, who have also recently returned from injuries, to lead the attack in Pakistan next month, in what will be the team’s first Test series after being crowned the World Test Champions.

Coetzee is eyeing a return in the first or second round of the CSA Four-Day series, and given that the first round gets underway on September 25, it is unlikely that the 25-year-old will be match fit for the first Test against Pakistan, which is scheduled to start on October 12.

“I unfortunately bruised my heel, that's why I've not played these Four-Day games (against New Zealand ‘A’). But luckily, it's quite a normal thing to happen. It's not a long (period) thing, so with the domestic season starting soon, I'm hoping to play some games then whenever I get an opportunity,” Coetzee told Independent Media.

“Heel bruises, because it's not a soft tissue, you often just wait until the bruise is gone and your body can take the load, and then you work up your loads, and then you play when you're fit. 

“I don't think there's a set timeline. I would hope to be ready for, I would say, one of the first few games of the Four-Day campaign. At least to play some of those.

“It’s a long season ahead, and this is not a serious injury, so you don't want to have something that reoccurs. So, I think we're just going to manage it and make sure that I can play the rest of the season.”

Coetzee had been out for most of the home summer last season as a result of a groin injury that he sustained during the first Test match against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead last year.

He missed the rest of the summer and returned to action during the Indian Premier League up until he sustained the aforementioned heel bruise.

The 25-year-old might not have looked his best self during the Tri-Nations Series in Zimbabwe in June, but certainly looked like he found his rhythm during the two Unofficial ODIs that he played against New Zealand ‘A’, where he returned figures of 2/44 and 0/50.

Apart from the heel bruise, the fast bowler emphasised that his body is feeling strong and that he only needs consistent game time to reach his full potential. 

“I think my body is in a really good place. I think pace and skill, I would argue, is probably better than it was in 2023. I need the games,” said Coetzee. 

“I want to keep playing, to go and show myself and the people I love and the world that I am still, I believe, one of the best bowlers out there. At least that's my aspiration; people don't have to believe it, but that's what I believe and what I want to achieve.

“I always want to play for South Africa. Every tour, I want to be involved with all three formats. I think I'm going to work to be fit, to be strong, to play some of these four-day games, and then if they pick me, I’m sure I'll be fit and ready to do my best for South Africa, which is the goal. 

“If not, we keep working towards that. Representing South Africa is the highest honour, and that's my goal.”

Conrad still has Nandre Burger to try and fill Ngidi’s spot, should the fast bowler not recover in time for the Pakistan series.

Batters Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi are also not a certainty as they, too, are recovering from different injuries.