South Africa has confirmed that pacers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Mangala have been ruled out of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India on Thursday, September 21.Nortje has been dealing with back issues and had last played in the second ODI against Australia. The pacer, however, could only bowl five overs before going off the field citing back spasms.
This is a significant blow to the team as Nortje's experience, raw pace, and familiarity with Indian conditions, having played in the IPL, would have been advantageous for the Proteas.The Proteas have roped in Andile Phehlukwayo and Lizaad Williams as replacements for Nortje and Mangala respectively. Phehlukwayo has played 76 ODIs for the South African team, while Williams had played just one in his career.South Africa begin their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on October 7 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
