CWC 2019: Injured Dale Steyn ruled out of opener against England

An untimely injury to a key player right before the start of a big tournament often ends up upsetting a team’s planning and strategy. South Africa is the first victim of this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup ahead of their tournament opener. Their pace bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of their first match against hosts England on May 30. His availability for the following matches remains uncertain.

South Africa’s first 3 World Cup games:

vs England, The Oval: May 30

vs Bangladesh, The Oval: June 2

vs India, The Rose Bowl: June 5

Steyn suffered a shoulder injury during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore that abruptly ended his campaign in the IPL. Speaking to the media, coach Ottis Gibson confirmed that the fast bowler is “not quite ready yet”. The fast bowler was in the 15-man squad in the warm-up match against West Indies but did not bowl. He didn’t feature in South Africa’s 2nd warm-up game against Sri Lanka. Gibson added that there is no specific date set for Steyn’s return. Although, he hinted that the pacer could be back against SA’s crucial fixture against India on June 5.

Steyn was included in South Africa’s World Cup squad even before his shoulder inflammation in the IPL, despite repeated injury woes that kept him out of action for a considerable time.

South Africa will now have to choose between Chris Morris, Dwayne Pretorious and Andile Phehlukwayo to replace Steyn as the third pacer. With Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada leading the pace attack, the Proteas are already a force to reckon with. Steyn’s absence will definitely be a setback against a side that loves going berserk with the bat. South Africa will be hoping for his quick recovery before it’s too late.