South Africa lose fast bowler Coetzee for test series in West Indies

JOHANNESBURG : Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of next month’s two-test series in the West Indies due to a left side strain suffered playing Twenty20 cricket in the United States, Cricket South Africa said on Thursday.

He sustained the injury earlier this month and returned to South Africa for medical tests, which have ruled him out of the trip to the Caribbean.

Uncapped Migael Pretorius has been named as his replacement. The 29-year-old, who took 23 wickets for Somerset in the County Championship this year, was previously called up to the test squad in December 2020 against Sri Lanka but did not play.

South Africa meet West Indies in the first test at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago from Aug. 7-11 and then travel to Guyana for the second test in Georgetown from Aug. 15-19.