‘Steyn not medically ready for India T20s’

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting director Corrie van Zyl said Dale Steyn was not medically ready to be considered for selection to the forthcoming T20I series on the tour of India.The 36-year-old Steyn, who recently retired from the Test format, was not included in the Quinton de Kock-led 15-man squad for the games in Dharamsala, Mohali and Bengaluru despite the speedster declaring himself available for the white-ball leg of the tour.Responding to a Tweet about all-rounder Chris Morris making himself unavailable for selection, Steyn cheekily responded: “I did ... Obviously lost my number in the reshuffling of coaching staff.”In an interview, van Zyl confirmed that the non-selection was on medical grounds. “Steyn is not yet medically ready and our information makes that very clear,” he said. Steyn picked up a shoulder injury during a short stint at the 2019 IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore, which sidelined him from the subsequent World Cup, an injury he assumed having overcome while making himself available for the India T20Is.Steyn is one of three players on the injury table. Vernon Philander (hamstring) and Theunis de Bruyn (back), both of whom were named in the squads for the India tour starting September 15, are battling niggles but are expected to regain full fitness in time.“Both are on track, but they will have to play one match before the tour to prove that they are fully fit,” Van Zyl said.

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