The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup got underway in India this Thursday with the defending champions, England playing against New Zealand, but for the Proteas, they will have to wait a little longer as their campaign will begin in Delhi on Saturday against Sri Lanka.

This allows South Africa little more time to prepared and these few days can be important, especially as their warm-up against Afghanistan was declared a washout without a ball being bowled.

The loss of Anrich Nortjé to injury has no doubt been a big blow to the Proteas bowling attack, but he also presents an outstanding opportunity for the 23-year-old Gerald Coetzee from Bloemfontein.

Coetzee, who turned 23-years-old on Monday is still very inexperienced at international leval and has only played is six One-Day Internationals, but has already taken 11 wickets.

The Proteas bowling coach, Eric Simons, told OFM Sport that Coetzee has proven himself against Australia.

“Someone that can constantly bowl at 140km/h is important in any conditions,” said Simons.

“Someone is going to punch him on the nose at some point - there is no doubt about that, but that is what this game is about and particularly in India. How you deal with that in those moments is what is important.

“I think it was a great learning experience for him against Australia to come up against a very aggressive batting line-up, to see him come up with the ideas and plans.

“He is a very intelligent cricketer - even as a young guy. He understands his game and he contributes a lot in the batting and bowling meetings about batsmen and opposition.

“I do think it's going to be a steep learning curve for him, but he is someone with the material and the resources to handle it.

“I think that one of the things that is going to be important in the India conditions is your pace off the deliveries. He has got a delivery that we saw against Australia, even in South African conditions it was quite effective. I think it was Josh Inglis that he bowled with quite an effective leg-cutter. Once you get opposition talking about it you are winning a bit of a battle.

“He is exciting because he has got the pace and then also the pace off the ball. Then the fact that he is growing as an intelligent bowler, which is important.”

Saturday’s game between the Proteas and Sri Lanka in Delhi gets underway at 10:30.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport