South Africa has suffered a major setback as left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan. Maharaj sustained a left adductor strain during warm-ups before the first ODI on Tuesday. Scans later confirmed the injury, prompting his immediate exclusion from the remainder of the series.
To fill the gap, South Africa has called up spinner Bjorn Fortuin as a like-for-like replacement for the second and third ODIs. Maharaj’s injury forced a last-minute change in the playing XI for the first ODI, with Andile Phehlukwayo stepping in just before the toss.
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Maharaj will now return to Durban for rehabilitation and will be reassessed ahead of the upcoming Test series against Pakistan. This development adds to South Africa’s growing list of injured bowlers, which already includes Anrich Nortje (fractured toe), Gerald Coetzee (groin), Lungi Ngidi (hip), Nandre Burger (lower back), and Wiaan Mulder (broken finger).
Despite these setbacks, both Maharaj and Mulder were included in South Africa’s Test squad for the upcoming series, with hopes that they might recover in time. Mulder’s inclusion hinges on his fitness after a finger injury, while the uncapped seamers Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka have also been brought in to bolster the squad. Bosch, the son of former international Tertius Bosch, earned his first call-up following impressive performances against the England Lions.
South Africa’s management will have to navigate the rest of the series against Pakistan and the upcoming Tests with limited resources, particularly in the bowling department.
