World class players like David Warner don’t become rubbish overnight, says Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn is all praises for David Warner despite his failure in the recently-concluded Ashes against England. Steyn has also words of praise for Steve Smith’s unorthodox yet successful technique that saw him being the highest run-scorer in the Ashes, with 774 runs from four matches.
One bad match and bad shot turned into two, two into three and soon it came to a point where the existence of Warner in the team became a joke. Stuart Broad did get into his head after a couple of matches, but at times it did feel like Warner gave in even before trying.
Perhaps it speaks volumes that his most significant contribution of this series came at Headingley where he showcased a pair of safe hands to cling on to the outside edges invoked by the Aussie bowlers. Although Warner was only able to muster 95 runs in 10 innings, Steyn urged that a player of his calibre shouldn’t be dropped after having a bad series.Â
"He's one of the best batters I've ever bowled to," Steyn said. "He puts you under pressure from ball one on day one of a Test match. You have to take what he can give you with what can happen. In this case, he's been found wanting around the wicket against someone like Broady (Broad) attacking that off stump. Sometimes that can happen. But he'll get to Australia, he'll find some form, he'll be playing around his mates and around his home crowd and that can quickly change for him. World-class players don't become rubbish overnight, especially over one tour. He'll be fine. I wouldn't drop him at all. I'd leave it as it is,"Â Steyn told ICC website of him.
Barring Warner, what a comeback Steven Smith has had! He smashed an overwhelming 774 runs in only 7 innings at a staggering average of 110.54 in the last Ashes. In the course of achieving this record-breaking feat, Smith surpassed Indian skipper Virat Kohli in the ICC ranking too.Â
"Steve has come...and with his technique that he's naturally developed, he's just confusing bowlers left, right and centre," Steyn was quoted saying so by the ICC website.
"I think he's a marvellous player. He's wonderful, he's got a great eye and a very difficult and weird technique to work out, which is working for him beautifully," he added.