In-form England opening bowler Stuart Broad amplified how much the Proteas have missed their pace-bowling spearhead Dale Steyn during the Test series by hailing the South African as the “the bowler of our generation”.
Steyn has struggled with a shoulder injury since the first Test in Durban, which subsequently ruled him out of the entire series. With fellow opening bowler Vernon Philander also sidelined through injury, the Proteas have employed a youthful attack in the absence of their senior men.
Their inexperience was glaring evident at the Wanderers during last weekend’s third Test when Broad – a veteran of 90 Tests - showed the value of knowing how best to take advantage of a surface that significantly aided the seam bowlers. Within 31 balls the Nottinghamshire seamer ripped the heart out of South Africa’s batting unit, in the process propelling his team to a series victory, and him past Steyn into top spot on the ICC’s Test bowling ranking list.
"It might sound odd, but I'm not the best bowler in the world. Dale Steyn is the bowler of our generation. Just have a look at his record: his wickets; his strike rate; his average. He is the best bowler in the world.
"My dad always talks about Malcolm Marshall being the bowler of his generation. Well, Dale Steyn is the bowler of our generation,” said Test cricket's new World No 1 bowler Broad.
Steyn’s strike-rate is certainly superior to anyone currently playing Test cricket. He was the fastest to 400 Test wickets in terms of number of balls bowled, and his overall record of 406 wickets at 22.53, which includes 25 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket match collections puts him alongside the best the game has ever seen.
Steyn is just 16 wickets shy of surpassing South Africa’s all-time Test record-holder Shaun Pollock (421), but at 32-years-old he is picking up injuries more regularly now. He has only played two of South Africa’s last seven Tests and failed to complete either of those matches after breaking down in both.
Steyn will though continue his rehabilitation process this week with treatment in a hyperbaric chamber on the eve of the final dead-rubber Test in Centurion with a view to getting him ready for the One-Day International and T20 series’ to follow.