The world did not end for Anrich Nortje in eighty days. He was absent for an additional hundred days, if you can put it that way. That had not happened in a competitive match for the better part of six months when the monstrous moustache with a man attached stood ready to bowl on Friday.
Fans of the Delhi Capitals will therefore anticipate seeing Nortje during their opening IPL game on March 23 against the Punjab Kings at Mullanpur. But perhaps they should temper their expectations with reality. It may depend on factors unrelated to cricket whether he attends or not.
It was the first time Nortje has participated in an official match since the second ODI against Australia in Bloemfontein on 9 September of last year, when he departed the pitch after bowling five overs. Nortje was playing for the Warriors in a CSA T20 Challenge match against the Tuskers at St George’s Park. There was a lumbar stress fracture found. It prevented him from playing in the SA20, the World Cup, and South Africa’s Test series against India. He took use of the lull to appear in well-known locations, most notably as an ambassador for South Africa during the men’s under-19 World Cup in January and February.
On Friday, Nortje’s 180 days of inactivity came to a gentle conclusion. Although Marco Jansen’s 4/19 stole the show from him, he would have been happy with his return of 0/12 overall. He bowled the second, sixth, ninth, and fifteenth overs to dismiss the opposition, thus his readiness wasn’t put to the test by bowling consecutive overs. The Tuskers have lost both of their games after being bowled out for 88. Nortje faced 24 deliveries, but just eight of them resulted in runs at bat, and he only managed one four.
Warriors coach Robin Peterson told Cricbuzz, “He came through well.” Nortje had participated in two practice games prior to his return. “He moved at a faster pace than I have seen him.” He seems content with his physique. His target is currently engaged in consecutive competitive games.”
That won’t occur before to Sunday. The first child of the pair is expected to be born any moment now to Micaela Nortje. Nortje is therefore staying in Gqeberha for the Warriors’ away games. He did not travel to Centurion for Wednesday’s game against the Titans and did not attend Sunday’s game against the Dolphins in Durban. However, he is scheduled to play on Sunday at home against Boland.
Nortje is one of the fastest bowlers in the world; he holds three of the ten fastest deliveries in IPL history, with velocities reaching up to 150 km/h. He needs to be able to rely on his natural apparatus to function as intended if he wants to maintain his membership in that club.
Due to a shoulder ailment, Nortje missed the 2019 Indian Premier League. He also missed the World Cup due to a hand issue in the same year. He has endured several forced absences due to severe pain. And could he still believe in a physique that will turn thirty-one in November, even though he had bounced back from his most recent setback?
“There’s always that element of getting confident in the machine again,” Peterson stated. However, Anrich is a highly skilled individual. He’s experienced injuries in the past, so he has a formula for how to heal and what to do. He seems fine the longer I watch him bowl. He appears well and in shape. He appears content.”
How did he feel about himself? Peterson described him as “rock solid.” “He has no problems. Anrich is an easy-going cricket player. He completes his tasks and moves on.”
For supporters of Delhi, this is both welcome and worrisome news. The fact that Nortje is back in shape and productive will be much appreciated. Only six days after he is scheduled to play on Sunday, they will also be wondering if he will be ready for them. Even if he is, he will have very little bowling experience going into the biggest competition in cricket.
However, as Phileas Fogg informs Reform Club members who are shocked by his claim that he can go around the globe in as little as 80 days, “A well-used minimum suffices for everything.”
The most significant concern is whether Nortje will become a parent in time to travel to Mullanpur, India, on March 23, when he will play for a club that will pay him USD785,000, which is more than ten times the amount of his CSA contract, to bowl like the wind.
The more pressing problem is that he has a contractual obligation to abandon the lady he loves and their priceless baby as soon as possible in order to immerse himself in the chaos of the Indian Premier League. You can buy a lot of diapers with all that money, but not happiness.
