Johannesburg, April 29
Former South Africa fast-bowling great Allan Donald has thrown his weight behind rising quick Gerald Coetzee, highlighting the youngster’s resilience and growth after years of injury struggles, while expressing confidence in his return to top-level cricket.
Donald, who first spotted Coetzee as a schoolboy in Bloemfontein, recalled his initial impression of the pacer and how early signs of promise quickly stood out.
"It was the first half of 2018, and I was in a consultancy role with the Knights - the domestic professional team in Bloemfontein - and I was called by a guy by the name of Gregg Hobson, who (was) the Director of Cricket at St Andrew's (now deputy headmaster) to come and have a look at this kid," Donald told SA20.
"I mean, he was almost too quick for those school kids. He had this sort of fast-ish rhythm. He bowled proper wheels for a schoolboy (during which he was selected for SA Colts in 2016, SA Schools in 2018 as captain and made the team of the tournament at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup). That was my first sort of meeting with him and just getting to know him."
The former Proteas spearhead went on to work closely with Coetzee during his formative years at the Knights, building a strong mentor-player relationship over multiple seasons.
“We signed him up at the Knights shortly afterwards, so I’ve worked quite a bit with him through 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022,” said Donald. “It was really fun working with him. He's a sponge, he's an absolute sponge. He just asks really good questions.”
Donald also reflected on the physical challenges that threatened to derail Coetzee’s career early on, praising his determination to overcome repeated setbacks.
“Geez, I think he's just been so unlucky with injuries,” Donald said. “From an early age, the injuries started sort of creeping up on him a bit. But he's invested well in his body. I've seen a guy grow up and get bigger and stronger because he’s gone through hell and back in terms of injuries. One just hopes that he gets a break and he stays fit.”
Now 25, Coetzee has worked his way back into the international setup, recently returning during South Africa’s tour of New Zealand, where he led an inexperienced attack in the absence of senior pacers and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series.
His performances have also earned him another stint in the Indian Premier League, with Sunrisers Hyderabad signing him as an injury replacement for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Donald believes the move could prove beneficial for both player and franchise, especially after technical tweaks aimed at improving Coetzee’s durability.
“I'm so super stoked for him that he's gone there (New Zealand) and he's played every single game and he's come out of that unscathed,” Donald said. “He was very happy with the way he pulled up in all those games. The one thing I've noticed is that he's worked a little bit on his rhythm. He's gone deliberately a little bit slower, not as hard as he used to. He just felt that he didn't have enough time to load the trigger and then pull the trigger, which means launching off the floor a bit better and getting bigger.
“He's a hungry young man. He's aggressive, he wants it, he wants to be in tough spots. Not only is he a good athlete as a bowler, but he's a good athlete in the field as well. He moves well, he's very strong. I mean, I've never seen a guy run a 3km time trial as well as him. He's got all the attributes that you want in a quick bowler. And I saw him live the other day at Centurion, showing that he's got this rhythm and can still bowl high 140s.”
