South African fast-bowling ace Dale Steyn is ready and raring to make his mark for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise in the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 tournament.

Steyn, who was drafted to replace Sri Lanka’s swing bowler Lasith Malinga in the Tallawahs set-up, said he is “happy and excited” for the opportunity to ply his trade in the regional tournament for the first time.

“I have always loved the Caribbean, it is my favourite place to tour, so I am excited to be here and I am hoping it goes well this year,” he told the Jamaica Observer prior to the team’s departure at the Norman Manley Airport on Wednesday.

Steyn, 33, pointed out that he is back to full fitness after recovering from a shoulder injury earlier this year, and featured for the Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I have been fully fit since then, I didn’t get many opportunities with the base of that (IPL) team there, so I went to Glamorgan, played five games and bowled really well. So it is really good space and I feel like I am in a little bit of form, so hopefully, it can continue,” he noted.

Despite his wealth of experience on the international scene, the right-arm fast added that he will be exploiting the campaign as a learning experience, while rubbing shoulders with Jamaican superstar Chris Gayle and the electrifying Andre Russell.

“I am hoping that personally I can actually learn a thing or two myself. I think guys like Chris and Andre, who are both outstanding performers here in the Caribbean, can actually teach me a thing or two.

“I play around the world and I do really well in other parts of the world, but I think my job is to come here, try and assist them where I can, and then learn as much as I can too whilst I am here. Obviously, this is foreign to me so I want to come and learn as much as I can and then once I learn how to do it I want to do it better than everybody else too,” declared Steyn.

The Gayle-led Tallawahs, who won the league’s inaugural season in 2013, and who made the semi-finals in 2014, will fancy their chances of retaining the title this year, and will be seeking a positive start away to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots tomorrow.

But the talismanic South African pacer believes that if the Tallawahs are to capture the crown, everyone in the squad, which is laced with youth and experience, will have to execute efficiently in the effort.

“Looking at the guys that we have in the squad we definitely have a big chance, but I think it’s a cliché because everybody will look at their squad and say we have a strong squad. I think the key thing is the camaraderie among the boys to build that relationship between captain, coach and players and everybody needs to know their roles,” reasoned the “Steyn Remover”, as he is called by his compatriots.

“If guys are playing in their strong suits and they are doing what they are best at doing, then we should do well. I think as soon as we can find that out and people can find their feet, understand where they are going to be playing, what they are going to be doing and find some structure, those are the teams that do really well, and the quicker you can find that out the better,” he added.