backfootpunch wrote:you could argue that steyn has taken slightly less top order wickets because he has bowled with other great new ball bowlers such as pollock, ntini and philander
so has had more competition for early wickets than anderson
Pollock was hardly competition for Steyn in his career. They crossed over a long time, but Steyn was inconsistently picked, and Pollock was injured and had lost a lot of pace. In a period of 9 tests between 2004-2008 where they played together, Steyn averaged mid 20's, and Pollock 23..... which is interesting, because Pollock averaged 40 in 2007 over a long period of matches, and this was the first time Steyn showed his true class, and I think when they played together. The stats show therefore that, both Pollock and Steyn did better when they played together as with respect to Steyns career at that point, and Pollocks decline.
Ntini fell apart really quickly at the end of 2008. He was averaging around 29 in the two years that Steyn was leading the attack in 2007/08, but when Ntini's form collapsed in the six test back to back in 2009 vs Australia, he called it a day. Steyn had his worst full year of test cricket in 2009 when Ntini plummeted and he played with Harris/Ntini and the often inconsistent Nel.
When Philander turned up in 2011, the 5 seasons they have played together, Steyn has averaged 17,17,19,20 and 29.....
I think its clear that when other bowlers are doing well around him, its a benefit not a hinderance.