Dale Steyn hopes to return by June 2017

South African pace star Dale Steyn is itching to get back to the field. However, as per the recent news, Steyn can only make a comeback in June 2017. Steyn injured his shoulder and broke a bone during the recently concluded South Africa tour of Australia. It was during the second Test at Perth that the pacer had to bow out mid way. He has now targeted 2017 June to be his return time.

If he recovers in time as planned, he could well be available for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. This also means that he will miss the IPL that is to be played in April. Dale Steyn recently quoted that he will begin light training in February and should be raring to go in June for the England tour. “The first two to three months is just the healing phase so by the end of February I will start to be able to do things like light bowling, start swimming and all that kind of stuff,” Steyn quoted.

The pacer is only 5 wickets away from being South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. “June is realistic for South Africa. I haven’t had a long break like this in a good few years and every season I go into it with something wrong, whether it be a little hammie or whatever. It will be nice to go into a season, starting in June, and confidently know that I am really strong and in a good place,” he added.

South Africa are scheduled to play Sri Lanka this month in a 3-match Test series. A very confident Dale Steyn feels it will be 2-0 win for South Africa with a game being washed out. “Sri Lanka are a good side but in South Africa – nothing against them – we should win. Two-nil, with one possibly washed out with rain,” he mentioned.

Kyle Abbott had replaced Steyn in the team when he was injured midway through the Australia tour. Dale Steyn was all praise for Abbott and commended the way Abbott rattled the Australian line up in Hobart.

“I was sitting at home during the Hobart Test and I knew Abbott was always going to bowl well. He is one of those guys who bowls top of off stump all the time, he’s got a skiddy bouncer and that’s all you need in Test cricket. In Hobart, there was a little bit of assistance, so when you’ve got a bowler like that with skills like he does, you are going to do well. It’s obviously difficult to do it but he does it really well,” said the South African pacer.

He looked very pleased with the overall bowling unit of the South African side. He said that with such a strong bowling line up, they should easily beat Sri Lanka. “But then KG (Kagiso Rabada), he just ran in and bowled quick all day. That’s all you want from him and he strikes every now and again. And then Vernon (Philander) is quality, that’s why he got the Man of the Series, he can bat and we all know he can bowl. He hasn’t disappointed in four or five years of playing. The way we are playing, with our bowlers doing well, quietly, confidently, we should beat Sri Lanka,” Dale Steyn conceded.