Steyn: I like challenges
2008-06-29 12:18
Taunton - South Africa fast
bowler Dale Steyn has soared towards the top of the world
rankings in the last year and is relishing the prospect of
facing England and Australia over the next few months.
"I have done well but we are coming up against two big teams
of world cricket who will be difficult to knock over," Steyn
told Reuters in an interview ahead of the first match of their
England tour in Somerset on Sunday.
"They are big challenges but I like challenges."
Steyn, who sampled English conditions with Essex in 2005 and
Warwickshire last season, is due to face the world's top-ranked
side at the end of the year.
Fantastic season
"We are in England now, then we go to Australia after the
Champions Trophy (in Pakistan) and Bangladesh at home so this is
a time where I have to stand up and be counted," he said.
Steyn was 31st in the test bowling rankings a year ago but
is now second after briefly holding top place ahead of Sri Lanka
spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
It demonstrates the success he has enjoyed since South
Africa's tour to Pakistan in October, a spell in which he has
claimed 78 wickets in 12 tests to make it a total of 120 in 23
matches.
"It's all happened quickly but although I have had a
fantastic season I know I have to continue this throughout my
career to be considered a world great," Steyn said.
"It was fantastic to be rated number one but my average and
number of wickets over an extended period, when I retire, is
more important to me. Consistency is a big thing."
Steyn, who turned 25 on Friday, said he was trying to
combine the sort of accuracy and movement Shaun Pollock used to
display with the searing pace of Allan Donald.
Test debut
The paceman showed evidence of this on his test debut in
December 2004 when he bowled England captain Michael Vaughan,
who shaped to play towards mid-on only to lose his off stump
after the ball swung late and left him.
Steyn is well aware of the qualities that set him apart.
"Everybody can bowl at 135km/h and put it in the right areas.
You can get a school kid to do that," he said.
"But anyone who can run in and bowl at 150km/h is
something special, especially if you can swing the ball at the
same time. Pace is definitely my biggest weapon but pace
combined with swing is deadly."
England beat visiting New Zealand 2-0 in their recent test
series though the home team's batsmen were rarely tested against
an under-strength side devoid of the fastest Kiwi bowler, Shane
Bond.
South Africa will be a bigger test.
"We have a few guys who can bowl fast and swing it, like
Makhaya (Ntini) and Morne Morkel," Steyn said.
"It's important to me I am always outwitting the guy next to
me ... because it raises the bar all the time. It's healthy
competition within the team.