Auckland: South African spearhead Dale Steyn said Friday he believed a good personal return in a World Cup match was just around the corner.
The Proteas will head into Saturday's pool clash against Pakistan in Auckland with Steyn, widely regarded as the world's best fast bowler, having taken just five wickets in four matches at the tournament.
Steyn, 31, has been overshadowed by Morne Morkel (nine wickets), leg-spinner Imran Tahir (nine) and Kyle Abbott (six in two matches) in South Africa's three wins in four Pool B games.
South Africa will, however, still look to Steyn to exploit Pakistan's top-order frailties at Eden Park.
And Steyn said he was not too far off his best form.
Watch: Steyn gets bowling advice from 11-year-old
"I don't think I've bowled too badly. I think against Zimbabwe I actually wanted to bowl quite quick and run in and try to knock them over," said Steyn of a match in which he had figures of one for 64 in nine overs.
"I just ignored that (basic) instinct, and just wanted to run in and blast them where it didn't work. After that I think I got better and better.
"I haven't taken the wickets that I want to take, but that's the World Cup. In a World Cup you don't have anywhere to hide."
"There are only ten wickets to take, and when Imran takes five or Abbott takes four, there is not much for the other bowlers to take.
"So you have to do what you have to do in order for your team to win. I'm happy with that. I feel if we make our way all the way to the final, I'm due to have a good game somewhere in there."
'Phenomenal' De Villiers:
Asked how will he handle bowling to South Africa captain and dynamic batsman AB de Villiers, Steyn jokingly said: "I'd trip him on his way out of the hotel tomorrow morning and hope that he breaks his ankle.
"I don't know," he added with a laugh. "He's a phenomenal player and seeing the ball like no other player has seen a cricket ball before, and he's playing shots that I don't think most people have seen before.
"Hopefully, he comes out and executes those same skills tomorrow and going forward in this competition. It's like watching 'The Matrix' movie, really."
De Villiers smashed the fastest 150 in one-day international cricket during his 66-ball 162 against the West Indies at Sydney last week.
Steyn said the shorter boundaries at Eden Park would mean little to his skipper.
"I really don't think it (the dimensions) matters really. It doesn't matter if it's a big ground or small ground, you'll still find a way. That is the beautiful thing about really good players. They don't rely on conditions.
"Great fast bowlers don't have to worry about whether the track is flat or green. They'll find a way to get wickets. And great batsmen don't worry if the field is small or big, they'll find a way to score runs."
Steyn denied Pakistan's struggling top order would make his job easier.
"It's never an easy job, I can promise you. I'm sure Pakistan will be as determined to come out and win," said Steyn of a a side who have won their last two pool games after two defeats.
"They are in a situation where I think they have to win a couple of games. So we will come out guns blazing and they'll come out looking to pull off a win. We know that.
"We just have to prepare the way we know against a team like that, and we'll take it very seriously."
Steyn praises firefighters for saving Cape Town home:
South African spearhead Dale Steyn praised firefighters who saved his Cape Town mountain home from the devastating flames which have engulfed one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.
Emergency rescue workers said several homes were destroyed in the wildfires while one firefighter was injured as the inferno raged through South Africa's spectacular Table Mountain.
Read: Fire behind Dale Steyn’s house in Cape Town
An estimated 3,000 hectares of land have been destroyed, according to local media, with helicopters dropping water bombs on to the flames as exhausted fire crew struggled to extinguish the huge blaze, which has been exacerbated by temperatures of over 40 degrees.
Steyn, in New Zealand and Australia for the World Cup, said he received several calls warning that homes in Stonehurst would have to be evacuated.
"It wasn't easy. I was in Canberra and I left my phone on silent that night," said Steyn on Friday.
"I had like 80 messages or something and 30 missed calls. So I quickly jumped on it and realized the fires were a lot closer to my home than initially thought.
"The scariest part came about 3:30 in the morning in Cape Town. I don't know what time it was in Canberra. But the people looking after my house called me and said, listen, you've got five minutes, we're evacuating."
Steyn said he was asked by the authorities what he wanted saved in his house.
"'What do you want us to take out of your house?' I've never been more scared in my life," said Steyn.
"I am sitting halfway across the world, and everything that I've ever earned or gotten in my life, every wicket, every ball, every bit of clothing in my 31 years is in that house.
"So it was pretty scary to think what do you tell this person? They've got five minutes to take everything out. I was pretty much shitting myself."
Steyn praised the firefighters for a remarkable rescue.
"Yeah, just tremendous job by all those firefighters and the volunteers that put their lives at risk and never met me before, never met most of the people.
"They were just kind of like throwing themselves at it and putting out those fires."
Steyn said former team-mate Jacques Kallis's house was also hit by fire.
"Jacques' house, his lawn was on fire. If I was at home I'd dive straight into it and do what I can to help. It really is terrible.
"A lot of animals, pets, homes, nobody should go through that kind of stuff. It's a pretty tough time back home right now."
