Lonwabo Tsotsobe Caps Return from Injury Nightmare with South Africa Inclusion

The last couple of years have been difficult for South Africa seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe, but the news that he is in the Proteas’ 30-man Cricket World Cup squad must come as a relief.

Having been ranked as the No. 1 bowler in one-day internationals from February 2012 until May 2013, the left-armer came crashing down to earth in the months that followed.

He was forced to have ankle surgery earlier this year, which meant he missed his team’s tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe to recover.

Before that, he was criticised by South Africa head coach Russell Domingo for his fitness, form and work ethic, and snuck into their ODI squad at the last minute for another tour of Sri Lanka.

He ended as the Proteas’ second-highest wicket-taker in that series, showing he still had plenty of ability in spite of his coach’s concerns.

The aforementioned ankle surgery took place in April this year, during a relative lull in the international calendar, and meant the 30-year-old could refocus in domestic cricket.

With the Lions, Tsotsobe has taken 29 wickets in all formats, while his List A record of 12 wickets in six matches has been especially encouraging.

Having been left out of the squad that visited Australia and New Zealand, he was able to prove his fitness and get into form, and he seems to have done that at just the right time.

Unfortunately, he rejoins the Proteas with their fast-bowling resources looking particularly strong, led by Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

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With their final squad limited to only 15 players, whether Tsotsobe makes the World Cup will be dependent on how many bowlers South Africa decide to have in reserve.

And, with the likes of Wayne Parnell, Ryan McLaren and Kyle Abbott all in the reckoning, this World Cup may not have come quite at the right time for Tsotsobe.

He will be desperate to find a place in the Proteas’ squad to face the touring West Indies in three Twenty20 Internationals and five ODIs, and that could be his time to impress.

It is all a far cry from his ODI debut in 2009 for South Africa, when he took 4-50 against Australia in Perth and helped the visitors win by 39 runs.

At the time, it seemed as though the Proteas had unearthed another gem to bolster their talented and highly effective seam attack.

He certainly was useful in ODIs, making 61 appearances and taking 94 wickets before his latest game against India at Centurion in 2013.

However, injuries and a loss of form took their toll, as did the emergence of the likes of Abbott and Parnell into top-quality international bowlers.

With his efforts in domestic cricket and his inclusion in South Africa’s initial squad for the World Cup, perhaps a return to international cricket is on the cards.

He will certainly be hoping so.