Anrich Nortje, the South African fast bowler has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 thanks to a fractured thumb in his bowling hand, an injury he suffered during practice at Port Elizabeth. He will need six to eight weeks to make a full recovery.

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.

All-rounder, Chris Morris, has been named in the squad as a replacement for Nortje. 32-year-old Morris last played an ODI for South Africa in February 2018 and is currently part of the Delhi Capitals, who have made it to the playoffs stage of the ongoing IPL 2019.

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)