Anrich Nortjé out of IPL‚ but what about the Cricket World Cup?

Cricketminded South Africans will be relieved that Anrich Nortjé won’t be going to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

But not once they discover why he will miss his appointment with the fast bowlers’ graveyard.

The same problem removed him from the selection equation for the first T20 between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Newlands on Tuesday.

If that sounds familiar it’s because Nortjé was recovering from an ankle injury in December when Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him at the equivalent‚ at Wednesday’s exchange rate‚ of R420,400.

He might have fetched significantly more rupees had the auction been held after South Africa’s one-day series against Sri Lanka last month.

Nortjé made his international debut in the rubber‚ and in only four games in the format — in which he took eight wickets at an average of 18.75 and an economy rate of 4.76 — he has made himself a candidate for South Africa’s World Cup squad.

Whether he will regain his fitness in time to be considered for that assignment remains‚ as yet‚ unknown.

But South Africans will focus plenty of attention on the other World Cup certainties‚ probables‚ possibles and wannabees involved in the IPL once the tournament starts on Saturday.

They are Imran Tahir‚ Faf du Plessis‚ Lungi Ngidi‚ Kagiso Rabada‚ Chris Morris‚ David Miller‚ Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen.

Gentlemen‚ start your engines. But get them serviced regularly.