Follow UsAnrich Nortje opted out of the central contract offered by Cricket South Africa, and it made perfect sense for him because he will now not be burdened with playing every series or being part of every other engagement of the national team.
“It was my decision. It was just to see how my body goes. I hadn’t had a stress fracture since 2010 and I just had a little bit of ‘nervy’ in the back, so I just wanted to take the time to play when I can, play when I know I’m ready, rather than having to play every series or every whatever is coming up,” Nortje told Sports Boom.
The 31-year-old, who has not been named in South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Final squad, also said that by not taking the central contract, he can fully commit to his body and take a break whenever he feels like it.
“It’s more just for me to have the calmness and to know that, if I need a break for a week, if I need a break for a month, then I can do that,” he added.
The pacer, who can easily clock over 150 kmph, has not been part of the Proteas set-up ever since the T20 World Cup 2024. But it is not because he was unavailable due to injury.
“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 my button,” Nortje, who is currently part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) set-up in IPL 2025, said.