IND vs SA: Gerald Coetzee Snubs Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers To Pick His "Cricketing Hero"

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee is having a terrific 2023 season. He was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, taking 20 wickets in nine matches. Coetzee was acquired by Mumbai Indians for INR 5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. He is also a handy batter and can clear the grounds on his day with the bat.

Gerald Coetzee is a part of the South Africa squad which will face India in a two-match Test series starting on December 26. The first Test (Boxing Day Test) will be played in Centurion and Gerald Coetzee is likely to play in the first Test. The 23-year-old bowler has already played two Tests for South Africa and has taken nine wickets in the red-ball format.

Gerald Coetzee recently revealed in an interaction that Dale Steyn was his inspiration for taking up cricket. He faced his idol while making his debut for the Joji Stars in the Mzansi Super League. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an 18-year-old Coetzee who was more than overwhelmed to face his childhood cricketing hero.

“My cricketing hero growing up was Dale Steyn. He was just poetry in motion. I was lucky enough to meet him. A few initial meetings prior to that, I was going through a bit of a rough patch in red-ball cricket. He was more than open and willing to talk to me. We had coffee and spoke about bowling and the process.”

“We have established a better relationship. I have not played under him yet, which I hope to do in the future. He is a really cool person and that was a big moment in my life. It was good to sit back and reflect. A pretty cool moment in my life,” Coetzee reflected.

Gerald Coetzee Made His Debut For South Africa In February 2023

Gerald Coetzee made his debut for South Africa earlier this year in February and has been a regular member of the squad since then. He was at his best during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, taking 20 wickets in just nine games being ahead of the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.

Gerald Coetzee was selected for South Africa’s Under 19 team at the age of 16 and he played a pivotal role in South Africa’s U-19 World Cup campaign in 2018 where he took eight wickets with the ball. He was called in as a replacement for injured Liam Livingstone, representing Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 edition of the IPL. However, he couldn’t make his IPL debut in that season. Gerald Coetzee is set to make his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL 2024.

The 23-year-old pacer has represented Joburg Super Kings and Texas Super Kings in the SA20 League and Major League Cricket. He will be facing Team India in the upcoming two-match Test series. The first Test between India and South Africa will be played in Centurion starting on Boxing Day i.e. December 26. The right-arm pacer could trouble the Indian batters with his swing and bounce on a bowler-friendly track.