SYDNEY: Dale Steyn (pictured) believes there are better bowlers in world cricket and it is simply his durability and consistency that have enabled the paceman to rise to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings.
There are many who would disagree with the South African, not least those who have faced his blend of ferocious pace and pinpoint accuracy at the crease and count among his 287 Test victims.
Now part of the most feared pace attack in cricket along with Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, Steyn looked relaxed and confident at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) yesterday as he pondered this month’s three-Test series against Australia.
That this relaxed demeanour was a contrast with his sometimes fiery on-field persona was not lost on the 29-year-old.
“Cricket brings out a more aggressive side of me, to be honest,” he told reporters with a laugh. “Where else in the world do you get the chance to basically kill someone with two bouncers in an over. Legally.
“I think that can bring out the anger in anyone. Off the field I’m pretty chilled, but on it, it’s all business.”
As one Australian newspaper pointed out this week, Steyn’s Test bowling figures (287 wickets in 57 Tests at an average of 23.50) stack up pretty well compared to West Indies great Malcolm Marshall at a similar stage of his career.
Steyn, though, seems genuinely uncomfortable talking about his prolific wicket taking and his reign at the top of the rankings.
“In all honesty, there are probably a lot better bowlers than what I am,” he said.
“I guess I am just one of the guys that consistently plays for South Africa and has performed well,” he added. REUTERS
