During the 1996–97 season, Srinath took 35 wickets against South Africa in six test matches. He took five wickets against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 1997, and took 22 test and 15 ODI wickets that year. Between December '96 and February '97 Srinath's speeds were timed in excess of 150 km/h and with one particular delivery measured at 156 km/h. However, Srinath spent a nine months away from cricket (from February to November 1997) due to a rotator-cuff injury. He missed five test matches in the West Indies in March and April 1997, two tests in Sri Lanka in August and one-day marches in the West Indies, the Independence Cup in May, the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, a one-day match against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, the September Sahara Cup in Toronto, and the three-match one-day series in Pakistan in September and October. In 1998, Srinath took 17 wickets in test matches and 37 wickets (his record) in 19 ODI matches for an average of 22.00—the best year of his career.