Faf du Plessis is certain Steyn will come back strong against Pakistan

South African captain Faf du Plessis has backed out-of-form fast bowler Dale Steyn saying the latter would make a strong comeback in the three-match Test series against Pakistan at home in December-January. Du Plessis’ remarks came after Steyn managed to take just two wickets in the recent away Test series against Sri Lanka that the Islanders won 2-0, thrashing the Proteas in both games.

However, the second of those two wickets saw Steyn equalising former captain Shaun Pollock as the country’s highest wicket-taker in Tests (421). Steyn, 35, has taken 20 Tests less than Pollock to reach the milestone but will have to wait for some time now to make the record his own.

Frustrating for Dale

“It was frustrating for Dale because he gives everything. You saw when he was running in, there was nothing happening for him, there was no reverse swing and no pace on the wicket. He kept trying,” Sports24 quoted du Plessis, as saying. “I think the next time he has the red ball in hand there will be a little more assistance when we play against Pakistan. I know he is motivated and I expect him to come back and put in the good performances,” he added.

Faf also spared a sympathy for Steyn for his performance in Sri Lanka saying it was difficult to extract help from dusty tracks and hence unfair to judge the bowler over the same.

The right-handed batsman, however, defended Steyn’s performance against Sri Lanka by insisting that it is really difficult to get something out of dusty tracks and that it was unfair to judge the bowler on the same.

The Proteas did well in bowling to keep Sri Lanka below 300 in three of the four innings in two Tests but their batsmen let them down, getting shot out below 130 thrice.

Steyn was ruled out during the Test series against India earlier this year. He went to play county cricket for Hampshire in June and took 10 wickets in five games, including one five-wicket haul.

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