Dale Steyn Leaves Play Mid-Over During County Match
May 26, 2023 at 12:33 PM
Proteas speedster Dale Steyn left the field while representing Hampshire in the County Championship. The side has confirmed that the pacer has suffered a groin injury but the extent of the injury is currently not clear and therefore it will be assessed tomorrow.
Steyn bowled 10.4 overs and went wicketless with figures of 0/41 on Day 2. Hampshire is playing Nottinghamshire. The veteran couldn’t complete his over and had a quick word with skipper James Vince before leaving the field. Liam Dawson completed Steyn’s over.
The South African think tank will not be too pleased with the latest development. Especially since Steyn has had a history with career-threatening injuries. A shoulder injury in Australia in 2016 kept him on the sidelines for the most part of 2017. While a heel injury against India in January made him go off once again.
Steyn on his past injury
Steyn recently spoke to Sport24.co.za about all that he went through during the tough phase. “It’s the worst injury I have had in my career by a long way. I have played 15 years of international cricket and prior to injuring a bone in my right shoulder in the first Test against Australia in 2016, the longest I was sidelined from the game for was four weeks”.
“When I went for the MRI, the doctor told me that they normally see that type of injury from someone who has fallen off a ladder or been involved in a motorbike accident,” he said.
The express fast bowler narrated how challenging the entire process was and the importance to be on the field playing.
“When I arrived at the hospital the doctor asked me: “Where’s your motorbike?” For the first two months, I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t get my arm near the steering wheel. When I got past that stage, and start using my arm again, my shoulder specialist said I could start running – before then no movement was allowed. I then trained every day and saw the physiotherapist three times a week”.
“My recovery went well, but it took a little longer than I expected. I missed a lot of cricket, but I was always confident that I would get back out there. I hadn’t played any cricket in a number of months, so the key was to get overs under my belt,” Steyn added.
It has been a frustrating period for Dale Steyn as a spate of injuries has kept him out of action. Steyn also revealed the next year World Cup will be his swansong.