Two very different worlds of Dale & Younis

While Steyn has had little time to think about cricket, Younis Khan has been mulling his ODI future.

Dale Steyn, the most skillful fast bowler in the world, hasn’t been thinking about cricket in the last four days. He can’t even remember the names of two teams he played last in this World Cup. Not hubris but because of apprehension. Everything he has earned from cricket was at his home which was threatened by the Cape Town fire.

On March 1st, 30 missed calls and 80 text messages were crashing through his phone, which was on silent when he finally looked at it. It was 3.30 am back in Cape Town and fearful of what’s happening, he called.

The fire, fanned by gale winds, was ravaging through his city and was approaching his house. The fire-fighters, and few of his friends, had called him to tell him he had five minutes left to inform them what he needs to be taken out from his home. Five minutes to decide from memories and earnings of life. Steyn looks flushed even now speaking about it. His team-mate Faf du Plessis house too was in the radar of the fire and it had already reached the garden of Jacques Kallis.

“The people looking after my house called me and said, listen, you’ve got five minutes we’re evacuating,” Steyn said.

“What do you want us to take out of your house? I’ve never been more scared in my life. I’m sitting halfway across the world, and everything that I’ve ever earned or gotten in my life, every wicket, every ball, every bit of clothing in my 31 years is in that house. So it was pretty scary to think what do you tell this person? They’ve got five minutes to take everything out. I was pretty much shitting myself. Yeah, just tremendous job by all those firefighters and the volunteers that put their lives at risk and never met me before, never met most of the people . If I was at home I’d dive straight into it and do what I can to help. It really is terrible. A lot of animals, pets, homes, nobody should go through that kind of stuff. It’s a pretty tough time back home right now.”

DEVASTATION, ALL AROUND

Google the pictures of the devastation, please. Somewhere, you will find an elderly lady, clad in blue stripes shirts and a shawl draped around her, head bowed and sitting on what must have been her lawn. A car is burnt down to its grills, and all around lie destruction. Another picture has a man on the run looking back to see an entire hill burning. No wonder, Cricket has been the furthest thing in Steyn’s mind.

On the day fire started to burn through Cape Town, Younis Khan was in Brisbane, sitting out of the game. Wonder whether his mind was on cricket considering all that has transpired in his career in the recent days.

He hasn’t had much to smile about in the recent days. Journalists have accosted his captain Misbah-ul-Haq and coach Waqar Younis with lots of questions about whether Younis has played his last ODI for Pakistan.

Both have thrown their support behind him and one gets the feeling, that he might just play this game against South Africa on Saturday.

Harris Sohail is injured and from the quiet mumblings of Misbah and Waqar, it seems that Younis will get one more crack at saving Pakistan and his name.

The ear-to-ear grin that wrinkles the face of the man, that square-drive on the front foot,those pats on his team-mates’ bums, a sense of fidgetiness in his movements early on that soon gives way to a calming influence has been missed in this World Cup. In a team full of young men, he and Misbah offer stability and the ability to soak up pressure.

With Younis struggling, this team has looked rudderless. In an utterly magnificent rant in Pakistan television, Shoaib Akthar has lashed out against Younis, calling him the 40-year old son of Waqar, and it has only made one appreciate the becalming influence of Younis over the years.

Luckily, Steyn hasn’t had to deal with such kind of remarks ever in his career. His confidence in his skills has always stood out and it came to the fore again on Friday. He hasn’t had a great world cup so far and here is his response to that: “If I take the wickets, then that’s what I really want to. But if I don’t, I’m just going to find a way to contribute. If they need 7 of the last four over, I’m going to make sure they score three. If we need two wickets to win, I’ll get those two wickets. I’ll do what I need to do to win games for my team. It hasn’t gone the way that I want to, but I feel it’s getting better and better.”

And so, we have a fast bowler who hasn’t been thinking about cricket, and a batsman who has had a lot of time to think about his cricket, who will get a chance to shine for their countries.

And, don’t be surprised if both players have their moments under the sun on Saturday.

Live on Star Sports 1 & 3 at 6.30 am

Source:: Indian Express