HAMBANTOTA — Sri Lankan pitches are said to be ideal for slow bowlers, but Allan Donald believes they can also suit one of the fastest.
Report by Reuters Dale Steyn, the top-ranked bowler in test cricket, but only 20th in T20, is the man Donald has in mind.
Donald, once one of the best quick men in the world and now the South African bowling coach, says it’s not only Steyn’s skill with the ball but his leadership qualities that will be crucial to success at the World Twenty20 being played in Sri Lanka.
Steyn took four Kiwi wickets for only 25 runs off four overs on Monday during a warm-up match ahead of the Proteas’ opener today against Zimbabwe.
“He’s an absolute champion,” said Donald. “He’s the leader of the group. He acts like the leader at training. He acts like it when he gets the ball in his hand.”
“Monday was one of those days again. He is in control at the moment and he’s in great form. He works very hard and he leads from the front.”
Just how Steyn, or any of the bowlers in today’s match, will fare on the pitch at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium is still a mystery, however, and Donald has spent the last few weeks trying to unravel its secrets.
The ground is close to Hambantota, one of the Sri Lankan towns hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami. It has hosted only six ODIs and two T20s.
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In his research, Donald even picked the brain of Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan — not that Murali could help much because the pitch is new to him too.
All that he could offer was that the wind howls from one end of the ground. What might be revealing is that six of the eight international matches played at the ground have been won by teams batting first. Also, it’s not a particularly high — scoring venue, perhaps because the strip is only three years old and still unsettled.
It is a big ground with the average score being about 152, batting first.
“There are not a lot of stats to look into,” Donald said yesterday.
“But teams batting first have won most of the time. We will keep our eye on tonight (Sri Lanka versus Zimbabwe, last night) and see how that goes.”
South Africa will wait until just before the start of their match against Zimbabwe before deciding on the fitness of all-rounder Albie Morkel.
Morkel had back spasms during the warm-up match against New Zealand on Monday. By late yesterday though, the injury had responded to treatment.
