Dale Steyn has not played any competitive cricket since November 2016
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has admitted that he is looking forward to Dale Steyn’s impending return to international cricket.
Steyn has been out of action since injuring his shoulder in the first Test against Australia last November.
The 34-year-old was diagnosed with a “fracture of the bone in the shoulder joint” and subsequently underwent surgery.
After a long and arduous rehabilitation programme, Steyn is poised to make his long-awaited comeback in the Test series against Bangladesh later this month.
There were some who questioned whether Steyn would continue playing international cricket, but given that the Phalaborwa native has expressed his desire to keep representing the Proteas, Rabada conceded that he is eagerly waiting to find out how Steyn will fare after returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“Steyn has been resilient and patient with his injury,” Rabada told Sport24 in Johannesburg. “He is going to come back and from what I see he looks like he wants to make an impact so he is really motivated and I’m interested to see what he is going to bring to the party.
“It’s always exciting to have the best bowler around. He has been there for six years and it’s always exciting to have someone like Dale Steyn back in your team.”
Steyn is also on the cusp of becoming South Africa’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the longest format as he needs five more wickets to surpass Shaun Pollock, who is the current record holder with 421 scalps.
Meanwhile, Rabada insisted that South Africa are ready for their home series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 28 in Potchefstroom.
Bangladesh have been flying high as of late as they recently beat Australia for the first time in Test cricket. South Africa, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing tour of England, which saw them lose the four-Test series 3-1.
“Our side is going to be at full strength and it’s going to give a few selectors some headaches, but you know that’s a good problem to have,” Rabada said.