Dale Steyn set to hit the nets by the end of January

Proteas speedster Dale Steyn who is currently recuperating from a shoulder injury which he sustained during the opening Test against Australia, insisted that he could hit the nets by the end of January. The veteran fast bowler fractured his left shoulder during Australia’s 1st innings of the opening Test which the Proteas won by 177 runs at Perth.

Following his injury, it was suspected that Steyn could be out of action until at least May 2017 and he might require a surgery. With age not by his side, his absence would have prompted many to believe that it could be the end of the career for Steyn. However as the current situation stands, we might be in for a pleasant surprise as he has hinted to make a return to the national side during South Africa’s tour of England in July next year.

“It’s going okay so far. I’m seeing the physio two or three times a week … to get some movement and some blood flow through there,” Sport24 quoted Steyn as saying. “I guess I’ll take December to recover and probably most of January too. By the end of January or maybe early February I’ll probably start to lightly bowl,” he added.

One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Steyn first sustained a shoulder injury while surfing last December and eventually missed most of the matches the Proteas played against the English side.

Steyn has been a stand-out performer for South Africa over the last decade and requires a mere four wickets to become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker. Shaun Pollock is currently the most successful Proteas bowler with 421 wickets.

Making his debut way back in 2004, Steyn has been a consistent performer for South Africa and has given nightmares to many star-studded batting line-ups. Though his form has dipped to a certain extent in the last couple of years, Steyn still remains a genuine force to reckon with.