Steyn eyes new opener Hughes

Dale Steyn has commenced the psychological skirmishes with Australia ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa by suggesting Phillip Hughes, the rookie opener, could struggle under the heavy weight of expectation replacing Matthew Hayden. The South African fast bowler, who led all Test wicket-takers in 2008, suggested Hughes would be subject to similar pressures to Dave Warner, who averaged just 17.66 in Hayden's former one-day opening slot this summer.

"We don't need to put pressure on him," Steyn said of Hughes. "I think trying to replace Matthew Hayden and fill those massive shoes will place enough weight on his shoulders. I wish him the best for his career, and obviously if Australia believe he is good enough to play international cricket, then he has our respect.

"But I guess we'll find out what he is made of in the next month or so. I will not be going out there trying to break him down verbally. We'll just stick to our gameplans, like we did with Dave Warner, and try and apply pressure that way."

Steyn insisted the South Africans felt no sense of schadenfreude in forcing Hayden into retirement. The veteran opener was restricted to just 117 runs at 19.50 in three Tests against the Proteas this summer, and walked away from cricket after the Sydney Test.

"It's not nice to force anyone into retirement," Steyn said. "I'm sure Hayden would have loved to go onto the Ashes, and I think the Australians will really miss him at the top of their order.

"But what was fantastic for us was the ability to get players of his calibre out with good gameplans. We save Hayden and Hussey as key players for them, and they were never able to get on to of us in that series."

The full interview with Dale Steyn will appear as a Cricinfo special on Monday