Steyn: My T20 stats are actually quite good

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Cricket365
April 28, 2016

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn is aware of the criticism around his T20 performances, but says his numbers are actually above average and he's keen to show his worth for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL.

Steyn is one of the most feared pacemen in Test cricket, but in recent years has become a fringe player in T20s for various reason, and was even dropped for two matches during the World Twenty20.

But he pointed to his bowling average of 17 in the format, and an economy rate under seven, and says that's quite good for a bowler, especially as the game is becoming more and more kind to batsmen.

Steyn said on Cricbuzz: "If you look at the stats, my stats would tell you that I have done fairly well. With an economy rate of under seven runs an over, 6.67 in IPL and international T20s, too.

"So, even if I am going for a boundary in every over overall the idea is to go for not more than six runs an over, which I have more or less maintained throughout my career.

"I think that is pretty reasonable for a game where teams can very easily go for 19 or 20 runs an over."

He expanded upon the theory that batsmen were having an easier time of it, and said that judging bowlers on past criteria was a mistake as the game has evolved past those ideas of economy rates.

He added: "The game is definitely changing, it is easy to score runs now and you got to understand that.

"People need to start understanding that it is not the nineties where (a) bowler can run in and go for three runs an over. Honestly, on an average, bowlers can easily go for 12 to 15 runs an over in this format.

"Boys in the past would think that 'if I can hit two or three or four sixes in the season that would be amazing' but now they are hitting two (or) three a game.

"So people need to understand that it is possible. But if we look at the overall picture, at the average and at the economy rate, I think I am doing okay."