Kagiso Rabada 'way better' bowler than me, insists Dale Steyn

Legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn has extolled high praise on current fast bowling star Kagiso Rabada. Terming the 23-year old as a much better version of himself at the moment, the seasoned campaigner hopes to further the youngster's impressive progress by imparting invaluable lessons gained from his extensive experience.

"He's (Rabada) way better than me. I have obviously got my records and everything but he's way better than I am right now. What he lacks is what I have (experience), and that's what I can share going forward. I will just carry on doing what I do and he can feed off that, he can learn off that and he can just become so much better", Steyn told Reuters.

Since making his senior debut in an ODI against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2015, Rabada has grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple of seasons. Searing pace, as well as relentless control, have made him the most dynamic fast bowler in the current international circuit.

Rabada is currently ranked number two in Tests (behind James Anderson) and is rated ninth in ODIs. He is one of only three bowlers, alongside Trent Boult and Josh Hazlewood, to be within the top ten in the rankings for both premier formats.

Following an absolute shellacking in the Test series, South Africa have bounced back by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ODI series. With the World Cup looming large, Steyn is relying on his extensive experience in order to force his way back into the white-ball scheme of things.

Steyn noted, "Our biggest problem in white-ball cricket now is our bowling. I don't think it's a massive issue, but I think in terms of experience it's our biggest problem. If you look at our top-six batters, those guys have all played 800-plus games. But if you look at our bowling, our bottom four, they have probably played 150 games. That's a massive difference. There's a heavyweight that weighs up there."

He elaborated, "They are all learning as they play but unfortunately you can't go to a World Cup still learning. You need to know what you are doing. Even at 35 I am still learning but I know what I am doing. These guys need that. I am hoping that's what I can offer in the white-ball scene and obviously play and win games for the country."

Steyn has already announced that he will walk away from white-ball cricket after next year's World Cup. The 35-year old has predicted that the flagship 50-over tournament might also mark the exodus of a few more prominent names.