South Africa pace duo Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee are expected to return to international cricket by November after being rested for the upcoming white-ball tour of the UAE, where South Africa will face Afghanistan and Ireland. The pair is currently undergoing a 12-week conditioning block aimed at managing their workload and preventing injuries, as part of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) broader strategy to safeguard the fitness of their bowlers.

Both Jansen and Coetzee have been out of action since June. Jansen, recovering from a shoulder concern, was rested from the West Indies Tests, while Coetzee, nursing a hip injury, was sidelined before the matches. Even before these injuries, CSA recognized the need for a break, particularly due to the high demands placed on young fast bowlers.

CSA’s white-ball coach, Rob Walter, explained the decision: "Both of these young players were presenting with chronic physiological and physical issues that are common among fast bowlers. We needed to ensure they could perform at their best without risking long-term injuries."

Kagiso Rabada, star fast bowler, has also been given an extended rest ahead of a busy Test schedule. The team is currently awaiting a security assessment to confirm their travel to Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in October, followed by two more Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This will precede a packed calendar with the SA20, Champions Trophy, and IPL tournaments.

Walter emphasized the importance of managing Rabada’s workload, saying, “When KG [Rabada] puts on a South Africa jersey, we want him to be at his best. His pace is most effective when he is fully rested and recovered. Without these rest and conditioning windows, it's unrealistic to expect him to deliver top performances consistently.”

With Rabada rested and Anrich Nortje sidelined due to stress fractures, the pace attack in the UAE will be led by Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman. CSA has also rested frontline spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, along with middle-order batsmen David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, to broaden the player pool ahead of future schedule clashes, such as the SA20 and next year’s tri-series in Pakistan.

This tour of the UAE provides an opportunity for emerging players to gain valuable international experience. Walter stated that it’s crucial to expose more players to international cricket to ensure South Africa has the depth to succeed, especially with the increasing demands on its top players.