XtraTime Web Desk: Bad news continues for South Africa as their veteran pacer Dale Steyn has been ruled out of South Africa’s World Cup squad due to his old shoulder injury.
The South African quick bowler had surgery for this problem in 2016 and has been plagued with issues with his shoulder before and since that procedure. He has had a recurrence of problem and will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.
South Africa have started this tournament with two losses, with defeats to England and Bangladesh in their opening fixtures. They are due to take on India on Wednesday 5 June at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton. They will now be going into that important fixture, and the rest of this tournament, without Steyn.
Steyn will be replaced in the South African squad by left arm quick Beuran Hendricks who made his ODI debut in January this year against Pakistan. Hendricks’ returns in ODI cricket have been limited so far, with just one wicket from two matches, but he has had more success in T20 Internationals where he has 16 wickets at an average of 18.93. Hendricks claimed a career best T20I haul in January, also against Pakistan, when he took 4/14 at Centurion.
Hendricks has the ability to bowl with real pace, reaching 140kph at times, while also swinging the ball late. As a left armer he also offers some variation to the South African attack.