While cricket screams player management, Anrich Nortje wants more Test cricket

In light of Ben Stokes's retirement from ODI cricket, the clamour for better player management has grown from all quarters.

Proteas pacer Anrich Nortje has also joined that chorus, but sees it from a different perspective in terms of playing more Test cricket as the Covid-19 bubbles disappear from travelling cricket life.

Nortje, who is easing himself back to his normal pace that flustered England in the second half of Tuesday's first ODI that SA won by 62 runs at Chester-le-Street, said fewer Covid-19-related bubbles would make playing life easier for them.

Nortje, who'll be expected to play another major bowling part in Friday's second ODI against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, missed the majority of SA's summer through injury.

"I'd love for us to play a bit more Test cricket, but in all, we're busy and we're playing most of the time," Nortje said

"Fortunately, bubbles are done for now and that can give us some off time in being away from home for a long time.

"In being away from home for a long time, the cricket has also been limited for the amount of time we've been away.

"With fewer bubbles, I hope we can be at home for a bit longer and get straight into cricket without having to prep as much as we have done."

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South African cricket may still be on a particular high following the announcement of the six Indian Premier League T20 franchises that had successful bids for the South African teams for the forthcoming and yet-to-be-named T20 tournament, but the Proteas still have an ODI series to win.

England, who faltered in a chase of 333, needs to find a replacement for Stokes, but SA, who let a 2-nil lead slip in the drawn