NEW YORK: Staff at a street cricket set-up in New York patiently gave Dale Steyn pointers on how to bowl, not knowing they were giving tips to a fearsome South Africa fast bowler who took nearly 700 international wickets.

Steyn, who played across all formats of the game in a career spanning 15 years before retiring in 2019, decided to travel to New York, one of the host venues for the current T20 World Cup.

As the 40-year-old tried his luck and bowled a ball at the wicket, one staff member showed him how it should be done.

“Keep in mind to not bend your elbow. It’s a swinging motion going forward... and if you want you can do a little skip,” he said.

Steyn struggled to contain his smile before he managed to hit the stumps with a full toss.

“It should have bounced before it hit the ground,” the staff member said.

Cricket is a niche sport that is gaining interest in the United States, who are playing in and co-hosting the T20 World Cup for the first time. They beat neighbours Canada in their first group game.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024