Steyn still hungry to play for South Africa, eyeing World Cup

Johannesburg, June 11: South Africa paceman Dale Steyn is eager to extend his international career for a few years yet and he is eyeing the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Steyn, who turns 35 later this month, has battled injuries in recent years, limiting him to just one Test since the start of 2017.

Eyeing 100 Tests and 500 wickets, Steyn – who with 419 scalps is two shy of Shaun Pollock's South Africa Test record of 421 – believes he can still represent his country for years to come.

"I want to play a lot of cricket. I think I can push it until I'm 38, maybe even 39, and start drifting this way [to county cricket] around that age, but how much cricket can you play for your country is the most important question," the 86-Test veteran told ESPNcricinfo.

"If I'm going to be spending the majority of the time on the sidelines, then you might have to weigh up that option. But I think it's a discussion that [South Africa coach] Ottis Gibson and I might have to have, especially with a World Cup coming up.

"He's assured me that a fit Dale Steyn is in the XI and I'm taking his word on that. Hopefully I can get the nod and can go on to get past Polly's record – that's been in the back of my mind for two and a half years now – and achieve some of the personal goals I want to achieve, too."

Despite playing the last of his 116 one-day internationals in October 2016, Steyn is still eyeing next year's World Cup.

The speedster hopes he can do enough to prove he deserves a spot at the tournament in England and Wales in 2019.

"It would be amazing to play in the World Cup. But you have to play white-ball cricket to be good at white-ball cricket," Steyn said.

"Hopefully I can get some white-ball games this year leading into December and put my hand up for the spot in that World Cup team next year.

"So I'll play as long as my name is up there to represent South Africa."

Source: OPTA