Dale Steyn optimistic about a comeback next month in November

South Africa’s premier fast bowler Dale Steyn is hopeful to make a comeback in November after being out of action for almost one year. The last time the spearhead featured for the South Africans was against the Australians in 2016 at the W.A.C.A ground.

Since then, the Steyn gun has been recuperating from his shoulder injury and is now looking to take it step by step for regaining full strength. He was hopeful to feature in the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League in November before the tournament got postponed.

“It happens quite quickly. I go off three paces on a Monday, then Wednesday I go off five paces, but I bowl 26 balls. Then Friday, I bowl off five paces but I bowl 30 balls. At the moment, where I am at right now, I bowl Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and at about 70% or 80% of my full run-up, at about 60-70%,” claimed Dale Steyn while speaking to Espncricinfo.

“Next week, I will move it to bowl on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off and bowling again Thursday and Friday. And we just up the percentage every week so eventually when we play the T20s, I will going full run-up, full-pace.” further added the 34-year-old.

Steyn jokingly claimed that now with the arm being reinforced with a pin, his arm is now stronger than ever. “My arm is perfect if anything its stronger than it was before because it’s reinforced with a pin. It’s 100% now. I’ve just got to start reminding myself how to bowl at high speeds because I haven’t done it for a year,” stated the bowler who clinched 417 wickets for South Africa,

Post the injury sustained down under, there were question marks regarding Steyn’s career. Many believed that the injury was career threatening especially looking at his past records with injuries.

“It’s not like a hamstring, where they’ve had ten billion people that have torn hamstrings and they say in six to eight weeks you will be up and running again. They can’t say three months and you will be up and be running again, six months. I was kind of a guinea pig going through this whole process and the other guy never went back to playing cricket, he was a schoolboy,” concluded Dale Steyn.