South Africa’s Steyn unsure if Twenty 20 WC would be held this year

Veteran South Africa pacer Dale Steyn is unsure whether the T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Australia in October, will take place or not amid the coronavirus outbreak in the world.

Steyn was doing an #AskDale session on Twitter and a fan ended up asking about his thoughts on the impending ICC tournament late this year.

“Is it even gonna happen?” Steyn replied.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell had said on Sunday that a rescheduled Indian Premier League (IPL) can be conducted behind closed doors but it won’t be easy to have a T20 World Cup without fans.

“... it’s going to be hard for us to have crowds. I think if IPL goes ahead they can probably survive without any crowds, but I can’t see the T20 World Cup surviving without any people there,” Maxwell told ABC Grandstand.

“It’s going to be hard for us to justify having a World Cup when we can’t get people into the grounds. So I can’t see it happening in the near future. We’ve got to take care of everyone’s health and wellbeing.”

Steyn was also asked to name the best batters he bowled to during his illustrious career.

“They all good ey! Ponting was prime, Sachin was a wall, Dravid, Gayle, KP, they were all so good!” he said.

Steyn also said his seven-for against India in Nagpur and six-wicket haul against Pakistan at the Wanderers remain one of his best bowling spells.

“Nagpur (7 against India) and wanderers (6 against Pakistan),” he replied to another fan’s question.

The 36-year old also said he is honing his cooking skills during lockdown in South Africa.

Steyn also picked his first Test wicket as the most memorable one.

“My first one, I guess I’ll always just remember it so it’s the winner. “I loved bowling a batsman when he left the ball, often it came from a set up so I enjoyed that my often silly plans ended up working,” he added.

One T20 wicket or a spell that is special to Steyn?

“I played a 20/20 against West Indies in Port Elizabeth many, many years ago, blew a few poles away with some yorkers and a good slower ball, loved that performance, but we still lost, haha,” replied the ace quick regarded as one of the best of all time.

Meanwhile, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has not made any concrete decision over his return for the Proteas in the T20 World Cup, but he, however, has admitted that chances of him being available for national selection would decrease if the

tournament is postponed due to coronavirus pandemic.

“I am uncertain about giving a definite answer because I have been very hurt and burned in the past,” de Villiers said in an interview with the Afrikaans weekly Rapport.

“Then people will again think I have turned my back on our country.

“I can’t just walk into the team. Like every other player, I have to work for my place and deserve it. It was very hurtful for me last year when people thought I assumed there was a place for me. I feel available and I will give it a go with everything I have, but I don’t want special treatment.”

de Villiers has been linked to South Africa’s T20 plans ever since Mark Boucher was appointed as head coach in December last year.

Indo-Asian News Service