Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander Eye International Comeback
Oct 22, 2017 at 9:17 PM
It looks like the tough times for the South African cricket team are coming to an end, as their injury vows seem to be ending soon.
Dale Steyn who has been out of action for over a year now is almost fit to make a comeback to the South African set up along with Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi.
Philander and Ngidi are set to return to action on Monday, as both got picked for their respective domestic teams.
Vernon Philander who has been out of action since the England series which the Proteas lost 3-1, is all set to play for the Cobras who will face the Dolphins in the Sunfoil series.
Ngidi, on the other hand, will play for the Titans against Lions at the Wanders on Monday. Ngidi was the front-runner to replace Morkel and Morris when they were injured, but suffered a stress fracture in June.
Steyn, on the other hand, was looking forward to playing for the Cape Town Knight Riders in the Global Twenty 20 tournament in November, but with the tournament getting postponed, his comeback has been delayed for the time being.
Although a domestic T20 tournament is planned to replace the Global Twenty 20 tournament and Steyn’s comeback date is not yet final. However, Steyn is confident about his recovery and is raring for a comeback.
“My arm is perfect. If anything, it’s stronger than it was before because it’s reinforced with a pin, I’ve just got to start reminding myself how to bowl at high speeds because I haven’t done it for a year.”
South Africa has a huge home season coming, as they will first host India for three Tests, six One Day Internationals and three T20I’s in January before Australia travel to the rainbow nation for four Test matches.
Their pace attack will have to stay fit if they want to have a successful home season, and the team is confident about it as their new coach Ottis Gibson, who was a bowler himself.
“It’s the first time in my career that I’ve had a head coach who was a bowler, all the previous coaches were batsmen, and they see the game differently to bowlers. When I sat in on one or two meetings (in Potchefstroom), and I listened to the bowlers, I saw Ottis’s eyes light up when ‘KG’ (Kagiso Rabada) was talking, and when Morne was talking. They didn’t light up so much when Hashim (Amla) was talking.
“It gets me excited because he’s on the same wavelength as us. It’s great to see the head coach out in the middle when the bowlers are bowling and not in the nets with the batsmen. So the love is being shared a bit, and I think the bowlers will be taken more seriously when it comes to decision-making.