‘Won’t be selected for T20 World Cup but’: Dale Steyn passionately backs South African player for the white-ball cricket

Table of Contents

The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is now just over a month away, with the tournament set to begin on February 7. As the tension mounts, several major cricket boards, including India and Australia, have already begun releasing their provisional squads, leaving fans to speculate on the final lineups for the remaining powerhouses.

For South Africa, the ongoing SA20 2026 league is serving as the ultimate audition ground, providing a high-stakes platform for veterans and rising stars alike to prove their worth. The competition for the final 15 spots is fiercer than ever, as the Proteas aim to finally secure the world title that narrowly eluded them in the previous edition.

Legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn has emerged as a vocal advocate for Simon Harmer’s inclusion in the South African T20 World Cup squad, citing the off-spinner’s incredible recent form and big-game temperament. Harmer has been in sensational touch, most recently scripting history during the Test series in India in late 2025, where he took 17 wickets at a staggering average of 8.94, surpassing Steyn’s own long-standing record for the most wickets by a South African in a series on Indian soil.

While often viewed primarily as a red-ball specialist, Harmer has been making a loud statement in the shorter formats; in the current SA20 2025/26 season, he was called up by Durban’s Super Giants to replace the legendary Sunil Narine, immediately making an impact with his control and wicket-taking ability. His T20 stats over the last year show a significant evolution, with an improved economy rate of 6.17 in his early 2026 appearances and a knack for picking up crucial middle-over breakthroughs. Steyn argues that on the spinning tracks of India and Sri Lanka the very conditions where Harmer just dismantled the Indian Test lineup, his experience and 500+ first-class wickets become an invaluable asset.

Harmer’s ability to extract sharp bounce and turn, combined with his lower-order batting utility, makes him a unique tactical option that Steyn believes the Proteas cannot afford to ignore. Despite the selectors leaning toward Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, Steyn insists that Harmer effect provides the psychological edge and variety needed for a World Cup campaign.

“Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.” Steyn wrote on X.

Simon Harmer won’t be selected for the Proteas World Cup team, but seriously, he’s making a valid white ball statement if I’ve ever seen one.

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) December 30, 2025

Also READ: Lakshmipathy Balaji predicts the finalists of T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa’s journey through T20 World Cup history has been a saga of immense talent often met with heartbreaking conclusions. Since the inaugural tournament in 2007, which they hosted, the Proteas have participated in every edition but have frequently been haunted by narrow misses and net run-rate technicalities. Their most painful chapter came in the most recent T20 World Cup 2024, where they reached their first-ever final across all formats. Despite being in a winning position against India, they fell short by just seven runs, ending as runners-up.

Prior to that, they reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2014, only to be thwarted by Pakistan and India respectively. For a team that has produced T20 legends like AB de Villiers (their leading run-scorer in the tournament with 717 runs) and Anrich Nortje (their highest wicket-taker with 35 scalps), the empty trophy cabinet remains a point of national obsession. As they head into 2026, the Proteas are desperate to shed the “underachiever” label and finally convert their consistent top-tier performances into a global title.

Also READ: Harbhajan Singh picks the semifinalists of T20 World Cup 2026