South Africa have extra work in hand now to get Dale Steyn back fit for World Cup

A number of players in the South African squad for the ICC World Cup will be appearing in their final quadrennial tournament. One of those big names is Dale Steyn who made a comeback to international cricket ion the recent months following a stint with injury but is dealing with an old shoulder injury again. The last 10 days have seen the veteran pacer grappling with it, putting the Proteas team management under a lot of concern.

Steyn took the field for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 after Nathan Coulter-Nile retreated with an injury. He played two matches, taking up two wickets in each. But he missed the game against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday following inflammation in his right shoulder and was ruled out of the tournament subsequently. For the South African team, nothing would have been worse than this news.

SA now eyes to bring Steyn back in shape through war-footing

South Africa’s team manager Mohammed Moosajee stressed the importance of resting the 35-year-old fast bowler as the injury seems to be a threat.

“Upon assessment and subsequent investigations, a flare-up of his right shoulder was confirmed. With the World Cup around the corner, it is our priority to get him back to full fitness before the squad departs on May 19. He will consult with a shoulder specialist upon his return and a recovery plan will be put in place,” media reports quoted the bowler as saying.
Steyn is set to return home to undergo an assessment.

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RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala said the bowler has been advised to take plenty of rest because of the shoulder inflammation. He confirmed the ruling out of the bowler from the remaining part of the IPL and thanked him for his contribution to the squad. “The team will deeply miss his energy and presence around. We wish him a speedy recovery and all the luck for all future endeavours,” he said.

Steyn, who is the highest wicket-taker for SA in Tests (439 scalps), has near about 700 wickets in international cricket across formats.

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