Injured Steyn to return to SA with an eye on World Cup fitness

With the fast bowler suffering a flare-up to his right shoulder, Cricket South Africa are putting measures in place in an attempt to get him ready for the World Cup

Liam Brickhill

25-Apr-2019

A shoulder injury to Dale Steyn has thrown South Africa's World Cup preparations off track, with the 35-year-old fast bowler cutting his time with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL short after only two games.

Steyn will return to South Africa after his right shoulder - which had previously been seriously injured - flared up. He will be assessed by a shoulder specialist, with Cricket South Africa putting measures in place in an attempt to get him ready for the World Cup next month.

South Africa's other injury concerns

Having recovered from knee ligament damage picked up in the field during South Africa's trip to Australia, Lungi Ngidi sustained a Grade II muscle strain in his side while bowling against Sri Lanka in the fifth ODI last month. The strain will require four weeks of rest followed by a rehab programme in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Anrich Nortje also played in that fifth ODI, but he picked up an injury in his bowling shoulder that requires six weeks on the sidelines. That ruled him out of the ongoing IPL season, where he would have been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, and his timeline for achieving fitness before the start of the World Cup is quite slim. Nortje is currently seeing a specialist in Cape Town, and CSA say he is on course for his recovery process. He will join the national academy at CSA's High Performance Centre this week - along with Ngidi - and continue to work under high-performance coaches Shukrie Conrad and Vincent Barnes.
JP Duminy missed most of the home season after aggravating a long-standing shoulder injury during Zimbabwe's visit in September. His recovery required surgery, and though Duminy returned to competitive cricket with Cape Cobras in March before slotting back into the South Africa side, he has not yet played a game in the CSA T20 Challenge. He has missed games in the T20 Challenge to allow him to continue his physiotherapy and conditioning regime for his shoulder. Duminy will also join the national academy, and is expected to play against the visiting Afghanistan Academy next week.
Tabraiz Shamsi has not played competitive cricket for almost a month after experiencing slight discomfort in his lower back while playing for Titans in the last two games of their triumphant One-Day Cup tournament campaign. As a precaution, he was withdrawn from the CSA T20 Challenge and is undergoing physiotherapy and rehab. He is expected to be fully fit when the team assembles for their camp on May 12.
Andile Phehlukwayo picked up an injury in his right foot, but it was minor and he has since recovered and has turned out for Dolphins in the ongoing CSA T20 Challenge.

"Dale felt discomfort after playing his second match at the tournament," explained South Africa team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee. "Upon assessment and subsequent investigations, a flare-up of his right shoulder was confirmed. With the World Cup around the corner, it is our priority to get him back to full fitness before the squad departs on May 19. He will consult with a shoulder specialist upon his return and a recovery plan will be put in place."

Having gone unsold at the IPL 2019 auction, Steyn was a late addition to Royal Challengers' roster. He jetted in as a replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile, who pulled out of the tournament with a stiff back. Royal Challengers won both the matches Steyn played in, with the fast bowler taking 2 for 40 against Kolkata Knight Riders and following that up with 2 for 29 in the one-run win over Chennai Super Kings.

"Dale Steyn has been prescribed ample rest due to inflammation in his shoulder," said Royal Challengers chairman Sanjeev Churiwala. "On account of state of his health, Dale will not be available to take part further in the ongoing season of IPL.

"His presence has helped the team immensely and we are very thankful for the inspiration and passion that he brought to the squad. The team will deeply miss his energy and presence around. We wish him a speedy recovery and all the luck for all future endeavours."

Steyn has been named in South Africa's 15-man squad for the World Cup, but it is unclear yet how much time he will take to recover. South Africa's squad will assemble for their week-long camp on May 12, prior to their departure for the tournament.

Worryingly, Steyn's current injury has flared up in the same shoulder in which he snapped a coracoid bone during South Africa's tour of Australia in November 2016. That injury almost ended his career, and required surgery and 13 months in recovery. During the Wanderers Test match against Pakistan earlier this year, Steyn left the field early on the second day clutching the same shoulder, causing worries in the South Africa camp, but that injury scare did not prove to be serious, and he later returned to the field to help wrap up a 107-run win.

The full extent of the latest flare-up remains to be seen, but if Steyn is unable to recover in time to play in the World Cup, it could signal the end of his white-ball career. Steyn has hinted that he would retire from ODI cricket after the tournament, but has made clear his intentions to keep playing Test cricket.

The World Cup squad named by South Africa can be amended until 23 May, one week before their tournament opener against England at The Oval.

Dale Steyn Royal Challengers Bengaluru South Africa IPL ICC Cricket World Cup

Liam Brickhill is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent