MELBOURNE: South Africa’s premier fast bowler Dale Steyn missed training on Wednesday due to flu, but is expected to be fit for the match against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“He has a bout of sinusitis but will be back at training tomorrow,” the team’s media manager Lerato Malekutu told AFP.

Even though Steyn looks certain to take the field in Sunday’s key Pool B match against the defending champions, his presence has been underwhelming in the first week of the tournament.

The paceman bowled just seven overs in South Africa’s first warm-up match against Sri Lanka and was rested for the second game against hosts New Zealand.

Steyn was said to be suffering from a sore throat and blocked nose during their World Cup opener against Zimbabwe, where he returned with unflattering figures of one for 64 from nine overs against the lowly-ranked opponents.

Steyn, one of the game’s most devastating fast bowlers who has 152 wickets from 97 one-dayers, will be needed in prime form if South Africa are to win their maiden World Cup title.

Meanwhile, the squad’s two consultants, former South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten and Australian Michael Hussey, joined the players at training at the St. Kilda club ground.

Kirsten, who was India’s coach when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men won the 2011 World Cup, is a part-time adviser with his home team. Hussey was specifically taken on board for the current tournament.

Published in Dawn February 19th , 2015

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