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The Herald
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Nortjé on why players choose IPL over internationals
The Indian Premier League (IPL) resumed at the weekend after a brief halt due to tensions between India and Pakistan along the border. The league was scheduled to end on May 25, but has now been extended to June 3. This has suddenly created a huge scheduling problem for overseas players. Many players bound to report back to their national teams after May 25 are now stuck. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India is working things out with cricket boards, the debate has once again shifted to 'leagues vs international cricket' among both players and fans. One of the boards that has been at the centre of this debate is Cricket SA. In January 2024, SA was forced to send an inexperienced side for a Test tour to New Zealand as all its top players were busy playing the SA T20 League (SA20). However, despite this, the Proteas have made it to the World Test Championship finals. But again, players are caught in the 'league vs international' conundrum as SA players were to report back on May 26 and began their preparations for the final. But with the IPL final scheduled for June 3, it will be interesting to see how they deal with it. Experienced SA pacer Anrich Nortjé explained why many international players sometimes choose T20 leagues over national duty. 'Hard to say what others are doing or what their reasons are. 'Most of the time, it would probably be income. Income is a major factor, one league can cover your entire income for what you'd earn with the international team,' Nortjé told . 'But it depends. It's different for everyone. 'I've been available for the last year, from before the World Cup to December, and only got selected again in December to play. 'There were a few series I wasn't picked for, mostly to give opportunities to others. 'So, from my side, I've been available to play for the country, but they haven't pressed on my button. 'Unfortunately, I got the opportunity in December and broke my toe, so I haven't played since the World Cup,' he said. Nortjé agreed that while income played a major part, players needed to maintain a fine balance. 'It's a difficult one. There's more opportunity to make income in leagues, but there's also that pride of playing for your country. 'It's a fine balance, and it depends on where the person is in their life and what their situation is. 'I can't speak for everyone — I can only speak for myself,' Nortje, who has played 19 Tests, 22 ODIs and 42 T20Is for SA, said. Nortjé was also full of praise for fellow pacer Kagiso Rabada, who was recently caught in a doping controversy. 'He's a great guy, on and off the field. A superb human being and a brilliant bowler. 'He's been doing it for so long, and I'm lucky to be playing with him and not against him most of the time,' Nortjé said. 'It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes him so good, but he's just so consistent. 'He gets wickets when it's tough, when it's easy — he's that kind of bowler who can win you games from nowhere. 'He's done it for years, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do in this final.' — SportsBoom
The Herald
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Nortjé feels SA has good chance in World Test Championship final
South African fast bowler Anrich Nortjé hopes to be available for Test selection in the 2025/2026 season. The Warriors quick took a break from the longer format in the 2024/2025 season to focus on white-ball cricket, but missed the ICC Champions Trophy due to a back injury. The Indian Premier League saw him back in action for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Punjab Kings, where he took 1/23 in three overs. It was Nortjé's first major appearance since the T20 World Cup 2024 final against India, where he was SA's highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in nine matches. Though Nortjé did not play a match in the white-ball series against Pakistan due to a fractured toe, he was involved in the tournament. It helped his case as he started planning his comeback. 'It doesn't feel like out of competition for a long time. I was involved in the series against Pakistan and the SA20. But it is great to play one game in a competitive space again,' he said. 'I was available for December's Test matches against Pakistan. I spoke about it and broke my toe before the first match. 'The mindset was ready. It was about getting the body ready. I was up for it and excited, but then the blow came. 'I had to get everything in line again. If and when one such conversation happens, we will take it from there,' Nortjé told SportsBoom in an exclusive interaction. Nortjé feels SA stands a good chance of breaking the ICC tournament jinx in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's in June. The Proteas have won five out of their last seven matches at the iconic ground. 'It is a neutral ground and SA has a good record at the Lord's. Hopefully we can continue that. 'It is a young team but an established one. The players have been in form. 'The success is due to the team contribution and not one player. It is a big opportunity for us to lift the trophy. 'The way they have changed in the last year or two has been superb. I think SA has done well under Shuks [Shukri Conrad],' Nortjé, who has 70 wickets in 19 Tests, said. Nortjé may not play enough games this IPL season when the tournament resumes after suspension, but he has been sharing his experience with other bowlers at KKR. The man with 61 wickets in 47 matches advised bowlers to be situational to challenge the six-hitting batters. 'When you know the situation, it becomes clear as a bowler. You plan around it, and it becomes simpler than frantic. 'We will not see small scores any more, but it will be competitive when the bowlers understand how to manage the game. 'The concept of Impact Player has made a huge difference in how teams are batting,' he said. 'We have Moeen Ali padded up at No 9. It becomes a long batting line-up. 'It was new but it is something that has become sort of a norm now. From where it started [it] was more of a shock, but the more you get used to it, the more you understand situations.' Nortjé was one of the batters whose bat failed the gauge test. He, however, supports the idea of checking bats during the match. 'Bats have made a huge difference and it is one of the biggest differences in how the game has changed. It's the quality of bats. 'When you hit a six, you get more confidence. It is an avalanche, but yes, the better the bat, the more confidence you have in training by hitting in the areas consistently. 'It is good to check if it is not oversized, but when you have guys like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, the ball will travel during the game,' he said. It remains to be seen if the speedster appears in a couple of more matches for KKR if it resumes, as he shares a good rapport with captain Ajinkya Rahane. 'He is a great human being who is easy to chat and communicate with, cricket or not.' — SportsBoom
