South Africa play England in the World Cup opener on May 30.
South Africa team manager, Dr. Mohammed Moosajee, lamented the unfortunate nature of the injury and said, "Anrich sustained a fracture to his right thumb during a net session in Port Elizabeth on Monday. He immediately consulted a hand surgeon and underwent surgery to stabilize the joint and will, unfortunately, be sidelined for up to eight weeks. This makes him unavailable for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.”
Nortje, who was also supposed to be part of Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2019, missed the T20 event due to fitness problems. “It is an unfortunate and freakish injury, especially because he had made a successful recovery from the shoulder injury he sustained during the series against Sri Lanka. He has had a few injury setbacks in the last year but knowing Anrich's character, he will be motivated to come back stronger. We wish him a speedy recovery," Dr. Moosajee further said.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) National Selection Panel convener, Linda Zondi said: "Chris has always been in our plans and is our next best option with the ball," he explained. "He has the pace and death-bowling skills which will be vital in the UK, and also gives us that depth as a deadly finisher with the bat. We have had concerns around his injuries and workload capabilities but this is an opportunity for him to make a mark on the biggest stage. Admittedly, the injuries ahead of the tournament have been frustrating but I continue to have confidence that the players we have selected will make the country proud.”
(cricbuzz.com inputs)