SA vs Eng: Dale Steyn rules himself out of Test series against England, targets home season return

Johannesburg: South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn has ruled himself out of the Test series against England later this year as he continues to recover from a shoulder surgery. The Proteas are scheduled to play four Tests against England, starting early July.

Steyn has been out of action since the Perth Test against Australia last November with a broken bone and he was selected in an SA `A` squad who will also tour the UK to get some much-needed match practice.

The 33-year-old had got his right shoulder fractured during Australia`s first innings of the opening Test against South Africa, which the Proteas went on to win by massive 177 runs at the WACA Ground in Perth.

However, the right-arm pacer has withdrawn from those matches, stating that he wants to concentrate on getting back to full fitness for the home season that starts with the Bangladesh Test series in September.

"My recovery is going well but it is taking a little longer than I expected it to," Sport24 quoted Steyn as saying at the CSA Awards on Saturday.

"I am able to do a lot of things, like running, hiking and gym work, but bowling is not one of them, and I won`t be ready in time (for England)."

"Obviously, one of the reasons for me playing with the A side was so that I could get some match fitness before the Tests. So, before that Bangladesh series, I will need to play a bit," he added.