Cape Town – His love for fast bowling is well known, so it should come as no surprise that Proteas coach Ottis Gibson believes that Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada are the country’s two best bowlers.

The pair will have a rare chance to fire together in the upcoming ODI series against Zimbabwe as Steyn looks to make a play for next year’s World Cup squad.

While Rabada has been setting the world alight in Proteas colours, Steyn has had a tough couple of years with injury. 

He is back to full fitness now and is coming off a decent stint of county cricket in England where he was largely impressive for Hampshire. 

Gibson, at a press conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday, said that the Zimbabwe series as well as November’s tour to Australia would be used to asses Steyn.

“Once Dale is fit, to me he’s still one of the best two bowlers in the country with KG (Rabada),” Gibson said.

“He’s gone away and proven his fitness, so he comes back in now and we’ll see how he goes in the next couple of games. He is still very passionate about playing for country and we’ll see.

“We’ll make an assessment on Dale after this series and the Australia series, the next six games, and we’ll see where we go from there.”

Gibson added that Steyn’s leadership is also a massive boost to the squad.

“He does that naturally anyway. He’s talking to the guys around the group,” he said.

“There is nothing to say that he’s going to play every game, but to have him passing on his knowledge in and around the group and at the nets, it can only be a good thing for those guys.”

The first ODI takes place in Kimberley on Sunday.