ZIMBABWE T20I TRI-SERIES
Gerald Coetzee is set for his first South Africa appearance in 2025 © AFP
Gerald Coetzee’s second name is William. You probably need to be South African to be able to do the math and wonder how that happened considering Coetzee is Afrikaans – albeit his English is polished – and William certainly isn’t. Then again, the exclusively English-speaking Dale Steyn’s second name is the decidedly Afrikaans Willem.
Coetzee and Steyn are and were, of course, eminently watchable fast bowlers. But both have done a daunting dance with injuries. Two broken shoulders ended Steyn’s career. Coetzee tore his hamstrings, among other issues, more than once as a youngster. Groin and hamstring problems have kept him out of a South Africa shirt since November.
Coetzee has proved his return to fitness in nine SA20, IPL and MLC games. But his comeback at international level will be a major focus of the Zimbabwe-South Africa-New Zealand T20I series at Harare Sports Club. The tournament starts on Monday with a game between the hosts and their southern neighbours.
Coetzee accepted that pain was part of the price he paid for doing what he does for a living. “It has been a tough few months but I’m not someone who stands out in that sense,” he told reporters. “If you look at the landscape of all the bowlers who bowl in the high 140s, we all struggle with injuries occasionally. It’s tough physically to bowl fast, but I love it. And I trust my body to keep doing that.”
A groan might have gone up from Zimbabwe’s dressingroom when they realised Coetzee was in the squad. Fresh from being hammered 2-0 in the Tests at Queens Sports Club – where Kwena Maphaka concussed Brian Bennett – the last thing the home side need is another fiery quick running in at them.
The format will offer the Zimbabweans avenues to be more competitive than they were in crashing to defeat by 328 runs and by an innings and 236 runs in Bulawayo, but they will struggle to put those shambling performances out of their minds.
The South Africans will want to stay on the path set in the Test series, and the New Zealanders will watch with keen interest ahead of their game against Rassie van der Dussen’s team on Wednesday.
As for the cultural juxtaposition of how Coetzee was called William and Steyn Willem, more than genes are passed from one generation to the next. Sometimes, names are also handed down.
When: July 14, 2025; 1pm Local Time (11am GMT, 4.30pm IST)
Where: Harare Sports Club
What to expect: A livelier pitch than Queens Sports Club’s sorry slab, but not by much. No interference from the weather.
Team news:
Zimbabwe:
Sikandar Raza, who missed the Tests against South Africa to play in the MLC, is back to lead the side.
Probable XI: Dion Myers, Brian Bennett, Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza (C), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu.
South Africa:
There will be changes galore, what with only four members of the XI who played in South Africa’s last completed T20I in this squad.
Probable XI: Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Rassie van der Dussen (C), Rubin Hermann, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Senuran Muthusamy, Nqaba Peter, Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka.
What they said:
“We are very happy that both countries have brought really strong squads. It will be good for our development and for learning.” – Sikandar Raza looks forward to his charges facing tough opposition.
“He’s a great kid with a really good head on his shoulders. He has the power game and he combines that with talent and flair. But he’s got a really good cricketing brain, and it’s not often that you see all those attributes together.” – Rassie van der Dussen can’t wait to unleash Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
© Cricbuzz
