Dale Steyn answers questions on arrival in Cardiff, following his move to Glamorgan for the first half of the NatWest T20 Blast. Steyn will make his debut against Essex at The SSE SWALEC tomorrow.
Hi Dale, welcome to Cardiff. How did your move to Glamorgan come about?
“It’s an interesting story actually because Morne Morkel was supposed to come over here and he got selected to go and play (for South Africa) in the Caribbean. I was rested for that tour but I really wanted to play some cricket so he said I should get hold of Jacques Rudolph. And within about an hour of that conversation I was on the phone to Hugh Morris, then I was on my way to get a visa and about a week later, here I am! I’m excited to be here and can't wait to get back onto the park.”
How was the journey from India?
“India is an amazing place and in the IPL I had 36 domestic flights in around 40 days. So the travelling doesn’t tend to bother me now, I just get on with it.”
What was your experience of the Indian Premier League this time around?
“I’ve played nine years of IPL so I’ve seen it all. Unfortunately this year I had to sit on the sidelines, but that was okay as it gives you a different perspective, I watched the game from the side, sat back without that pressure to perform and win games. It can be quite overwhelming to continually go out under pressure to win. I got a lot of training done, which means I’ve got a couple of new tricks in the arsenal. So it was a different kind of IPL for me but now I’m ready to go. I’ve been bowling fast, my body’s feeling good and I just want to play some cricket for Glamorgan now."
How much do you know about Glamorgan as a club?
“I spent last night at Jacques Rudolph’s house chatting in general about the club and about Cardiff. The club did pretty well last year and it’s been a bit different this year in four-day cricket. But they’re top of the table in T20 right now after one game and that form can carry on. If we win another one and build some momentum, hopefully it can continue."
Did you watch the 10-wicket win over Surrey?
“I did actually, yes. The game came on TV pretty late but I watched from my bed and it looked like the guys played pretty well."
Your debut is against Essex tomorrow night – how much do you know about them?
“The first team that I played county cricket for was Essex when I was about 19, with guys like Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook. Hopefully I can get Ravi out – I’ve got him out a couple of times before!”
You can see Dale Steyn in action for Glamorgan tomorrow (Wednesday) night at The SSE SWALEC. The game gets underway at 6.30pm with gates open from 5pm. Under 17s can attend the match for £1. Click here to secure your seats.
LISTEN: full interview below
;