ICC World Cup 2019: Dale Steyn Ruled Out Against Bangladesh
Jun 2, 2019 at 3:54 PM
South Africa suffered another set back prior to their game against Bangladesh on Sunday. Their leading pacer Dale Steyn will not be available for selection after failing to recover completely.
The veteran pacer has been out for their tournament opener against England as well. He suffered a shoulder injury during his short stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2019. Although, his return date is not set, many fans expected him to be back in time for the game against Bangladesh.
But with this latest news, the team will have to cope with their other bowlers. South Africa dearly missed his experience against England. It remains to be seen if they manage to win the game against Bangladesh without him.
Also, there is another problem for South Africa with India’s game looming quickly. After playing Bangladesh on Sunday, South Africa will play against India on June 5.
Steyn’s Experience – Missing Piece For South Africa
Having been in the international cricket for almost 14 years, Dale Steyn is an integral part of South Africa national team. However, his recent injuries meant South Africa suffered across the formats.
He is lethal with the ball, but his constant injuries made him lose his rhythm as a bowler. Although, he is showing flashes of his brilliance, it remains to be seen how much he can offer to South Africa in this year’s event.
On the other hand, South Africa looked clueless against England in his absence. Despite getting dangerous Jonny Bairstow dismissed in the very first over, they failed to get another breakthrough quickly. England batsmen were good to tackle rest of the bowling attack.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis also mentioned about Steyn’s absence, which hurt them against England in opening overs. The team needs to make a decision quickly to make necessary changes for the game against Bangladesh.
They cannot afford to lose against Bangladesh. If they lose to their rivals on Sunday, their campaign will be jeopardy. Dale Steyn is going to take more time for his recovery. It will be important for the team to stand strong despite his absence or they could be in danger to ruin their chances of semifinals pretty early.