Gerald Coetzee ruled out of SA vs SL 2024 2nd Test, Kwena Maphaka added to squad
Left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka has been called up to South Africa's squad as Gerald Coetzee's replacement for the second Test against Sri Lanka, beginning on December 5 at the St. George's Park in Gqeberha. Coetzee will miss the upcoming series against Pakistan as well.
The right-arm speedster sustained a right groin muscle strain during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban, rendering him unavailable for the remainder of the summer. The 24-year-old faces a four to six weeks of recovery.
The long recovery period also means that he could miss the start of the third edition of SA20, beginning on January 9. The youngster is part of Joburg Super Kings in SA20 which will face the MI Cape Town in their opening fixture on January 11.
Maphaka, meanwhile, made his international debut during the T20I series against the West Indies in August following his terrific performance in the U19 World Cup earlier in the year. However, the left-arm pacer has featured only in three first-class games since debuting in June 2023, taking 13 wickets at 20.92 apiece.
Gerald Coetzee picked up four wickets across two innings in the opening Test against Sri Lanka
Coetzee, meanwhile, had match figures of 16-0-85-4 in the opening Test in Durban, dismissing Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, and Dinesh Chandimal. Nevertheless, the stars of the show for the home side were Marco Jansen and Temba Bavuma.
Jansen picked up 11 wickets in the match, including seven in the first innings to consign Sri Lanka to a record-low of 42. Temba Bavuma struck 70 and 113 as South Africa romped to a 233-run victory and a 1-0 series lead.
The victory also lifted the Proteas to the second spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, increasing their chances of making it to the final.