Time to give Dale Steyn his due

In January 2011, Indian batting genius Sachin Tendulkar compiled a highly acclaimed 146 against South Africa at Cape Town. Steyn handed him a searching test of technique and temperament that the master batsman was able to overcome as he crafted what was voted the innings of the year by an esteemed panel of judges. In two five-over spells – one in the morning and one after lunch on the third day – Tendulkar faced 48 of 60 deliveries and only survived because of his unmatched skills and some good fortune.

He was comprehensively beaten a number of times and might have been lucky to survive at least one of two appeals for caught behind. When Steyn found his edge the ball went to ground, once flying through slips for four. So substantial was the threat posed by the speedster that the 12 deliveries that Tendulkar didn’t face yielded two wickets – Cheshwar Pujara and MS Dhoni – and should have accounted for a third, but the ball that was deflected by Harbhajan Singh’s off-stump failed to remove a bail.

It can be strongly argued that the 29-year-old has been the most effective fastman in history. Others, like Michael Holding and Jeff Thomson, have been faster and more hostile; others, like Malcolm Marshall and James Anderson, have been better fast bowling artists, parading a wider range of capabilities; but there has never been a pacer more likely to dismiss his opponent than Dale Steyn.

His strike rate of 41.1 is better than all bowlers with over 200 Test wickets. To put that in perspective, it is useful to note that Marshall’s career strike rate is 46.7 – Dennis Lillee’s is 52. Also, Steyn’s 21 five-wicket hauls is only one behind Marshall’s 22, despite playing in 16 fewer Tests. His 332 wickets in 65 Tests – over five per game — at an average of 22.65 tells the tale of a bowler fit to be bracketed with the elites.

Cricket fans and pundits are notoriously nostalgic, and so the tendency to apportion accolades disproportionately to the champions of old is clear. Conditions were tougher then and players were better – at least as far as many of us are concerned. Factors such as superior bats, flatter surfaces and shortened boundaries indicate that there were better times to be employed in the bowling business. And in this age of higher batting averages and faster scoring rates, the claims of today’s bowlers should not be diminished. It is time to accord Dale Steyn his rightful place at the top of the heap.