South Africa Pacer Dale Steyn Aims 500 Test-Wicket Club

South African speedster Dale Steyn admitted he’s no longer aiming in becoming South Africa’s sole greatest Test wicket-taker; a record which he’s likely to be set after years of injury problems.

Meanwhile, Steyn crawled to become the joint-highest Test wicket-taker as he touched Shaun Pollock’s feat of 421 wickets. Steyn will now have to wait till December in a bid to overhaul the record. However, the audacious bowler feels it is a burden after years of anticipation.

Instead, Steyn is eyeing the mark of 500 Test-wickets despite his age and recurring injury troubles.

“I hope it just gets out of the way and we can just carry on. Because there are more wickets in me than 421,” Steyn told Reuters.

“I have got 500-plus on the horizon so I don’t know why we are so consumed on one number. When I am bowling it’s like ‘you’re gonna get there, you’re gonna get there’. I know I am, but I’m not interested in getting there,” he added.

Steyn has only played three Tests since November 2016, when he broke a bone in his shoulder while playing against Australia. He returned to cricket after 13-month prolonged gap against India earlier this year only to nurse heel injury.

Steyn had a horrible return to cricket during the Sri Lanka series. He took just two wickets at an unhealthy average of 89.50 for the series, which was only enough to equal Pollock’s record.

Dale Steyn has no retirement plans:

Despite this, Steyn admitted he is happy to complete the series without any further injury. Moreover, he wants to continue playing for South Africa without any retirement plans in sight.

“I probably just got through the hardest Test of my career and I’m absolutely fine. That’s a plus in my book. I am pretty pleased with that,” he said.

“I walked away from both of those Test matches not leaving the field once or having any problems. So the cloud of injury is, in my opinion, now gone,” he concluded.