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Australia cricket team batter David Warner© AFP
Australian cricket team batter David Warner named former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn as the toughest bowler that he has faced during his illustrious career. Warner called time on his ODI career and will also retire from Test cricket after playing his farewell game against Pakistan starting Wednesday. Steyn is one of the most celebrated fast bowler in recent history and he is South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in Tests, with 439 wickets in 93 matches. Warner recalled a tough duel with the pacer during a 2016-17 home series and said how Steyn troubled both him and Shaun Marsh with his express pace.
“Without doubt it’s Dale Steyn. I go back to the WACA (the first Test of the 2016-17 home series against South Africa) when me and Shaun Marsh had to go out for an ugly 45-minute session. Shaun came down to me and said, ‘I can’t pull him so I don’t know how we’re going to go about facing him’. He put me on my backside and I think he broke his shoulder as well that game,” Warner was quoted by cricket.com.au.
Best innings? Toughest bowler to face? David Warner reflects#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/d1f0TplVVk
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 1, 2024
“He’s a fierce competitor who swung the ball back into the left-hander, which is similar to Mitchell Starc swinging the ball back into the right-hander at pace. He was always a fiery customer who never gave you a smile and never gave you an inch or a sniff on the field,” the veteran Australia batter added.
Meanwhile, Australia opted against playing a second spinner in the final Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground, naming an unchanged line-up for David Warner’s farewell match.
Skipper Pat Cummins confirmed Australia’s fast-bowling trio had all recovered well from the second Test in Melbourne four days ago after clinching the three-match series with a tense 79-run win.
Pakistan have made two changes. There is a Test debut for Saim Ayub, who will open the innings replacing Imam-Ul-Haq while Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out for off-spinner Sajid Khan.
(With AFP inputs)
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