Mohali, March 1 (IANS) South African pacer Dale Steyn Tuesday appreciated the International Cricket Council’s decision of giving players enough time to rest and to recuperate from injuries by keeping long gaps between their World Cup matches.
‘Players can pick up an injury but if they have a long break, they can recover. It (gaps) helps you stay fit and makes everybody available for selection,’ said Steyn, while talking to reporters after his team’s practise session at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here Tuesday.
‘It is pretty good that all players are available for all the games and are fighting for a place in the team. It is a healthy competition. The ODIs against India at home were in quick succession, he added.
South Africa will play against the Netherlands at PCA stadium here Thursday. The South African team had reached here Monday while the Netherlands arrived Tuesday evening.
Talking about the fitness of his team, Steyn said: ‘There are a couple of niggles in every team, every team has some kind of injuries. But every single guy will be up for selection for Thursday’s match.’
Asked about the thrilling India-England match that ended in a tie Sunday, Steyn said good fielding and saving runs play crucial role in any team’s win.
‘It was a big game. When you score 338 you think you have got enough runs. But it was a run short for both. We can learn a lot from that,’ he pointed out.
‘In our morning meeting, we also discussed about how to save runs and put emphasis on good fielding,’ said Steyn.
Steyn said that on sub-continent wickets, bowlers need to be disciplined and have to bowl to a good line with variation in pace.
‘In India it is difficult to get away with bad balls as here there will be less bounce and ball will easily find the middle of the bat. In South Africa, you can get away sometimes because of the bounce,’ he added.
‘You can’t bowl at the same pace and pitch at the same place,’ he said.
