Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn
Steyn in 2009
Personal information
Full name
Dale Willem Steyn
Born (1983-06-27) 27 June 1983 (age 41)
Phalaborwa, Transvaal Province, South Africa
NicknameSteyn Gun
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 297)17 December 2004 v England
Last Test21 February 2019 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 82)17 August 2005 v Asia XI
Last ODI13 March 2019 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.8
T20I debut (cap 31)23 November 2007 v New Zealand
Last T20I21 February 2020 v Australia
T20I shirt no.8
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2003/04–2005/06Northerns
2004/05–2009/10; 2017/18–2018/19Titans
2005Essex
2007Warwickshire
2008–2010; 2019–2020Royal Challengers Bangalore
2010/11–2016/17Cape Cobras
2011–2012Deccan Chargers
2013–2015Sunrisers Hyderabad
2016Gujarat Lions
2016Glamorgan
2016Jamaica Tallawahs
2018Hampshire
2018–2019Cape Town Blitz
2019/20Melbourne Stars
2020Islamabad United
2020Kandy Tuskers
2021Quetta Gladiators
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 93 125 47 141
Runs scored 1,251 365 21 1,824
Batting average 13.59 9.35 3.50 13.71
100s/50s 0/2 0/1 0/0 0/4
Top score 76 60 5 82
Balls bowled 18,608 6,256 1,015 27,183
Wickets 439 196 64 618
Bowling average 22.95 25.95 18.35 23.57
5 wickets in innings 26 3 0 35
10 wickets in match 5 0 0 7
Best bowling 7/51 6/39 4/9 8/41
Catches/stumpings 26/– 28/– 12/– 33/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 February 2020

Dale Willem Steyn (/ˈsteɪn/; born 27 June 1983) is a South African former professional cricketer who played for the South African cricket team. He is regarded by many as the greatest bowler of the Modern Era.[1][2][3] Steyn's ability to produce late swing at high pace - a rare and lethal combination amongst fast bowlers - made him stand apart from many of his contemporaries. Many cricketing legends have regarded his length deliveries unplayable when the ball swung. During the 2007–08 season, Steyn achieved a tally of 78 wickets at an average of 16.24,[4] and was subsequently rewarded with the ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year Award.[5] He was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2013,[6] and the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2013 in 2014's Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.[7][8][9] In December 2015 he injured his shoulder in the Durban Test against England ; after this injury his career was a short lived one as it was followed by multiple injuries;[10] these injuries were the reason why many cricketing greats didn't even consider post 2015 Steyn as "The Dale Steyn" which the batsmen feared to face. He was featured in Wisden Cricketers of the Decade at the end of 2019. He also was included in the ICC Test Team of the Decade at the end of 2020.[11]

Steyn dominated the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings at the peak of his career, for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014. Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan sits next on the list with 214 weeks. In terms of days, Steyn had spent 2,356 days at the top as of 6 October 2016. In October 2012, former South African test cricketer Allan Donald called the South African pace attack, which Steyn was part of, alongside Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, the best South Africa had ever produced.[12] In December 2018, during the first Test against Pakistan, Steyn became the leading wicket taker for South Africa in Test cricket, a distinction previously held by all-rounder and former-captain Shaun Pollock.[13][14]

On 5 August 2019, Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket,[15] to focus on limited-overs cricket.[16] Steyn announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 31 August 2021.[17]

  1. ^ "In Numbers. Steyn Cements Status as All-time Great in Tests". News18. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Dale Steyn, the greatest fast bowler of the century". ESPNcricinfo. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Stuart Broad, Michael Holding and Shaun Pollock discuss cricket's greatest-ever seamers". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Bowling records. Test matches." Stats.cricinfo.com. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Dale Steyn". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 28 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Kallis, Amla, Steyn among Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year". Wisden India. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Sachin Tendulkar adorns cover of 2014 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack". NDTV. April 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Leading Cricketer in the World Dale Steyn". ESPNcricinfo. April 2014. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ "2014". ESPNcricinfo. April 2014. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014.
  10. ^ "The Dale Steyn timeline of injuries - ESPN Video". ESPN. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  11. ^ "AB, Tahir named in ICC ODI Team of the Decade, Steyn makes Test team". Sport. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Donald rates Proteas pace lineup best ever". 3 News NZ. 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  13. ^ "Steyn surpasses Pollock to become South Africa's top wicket-taker". ESPNcricinfo. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Steyn ties Pollock atop all-time SA wicket-taker list". Sport24. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  15. ^ "Dale Steyn retires from Test cricket". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Dale Steyn retires from Tests, will focus on limited-overs cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  17. ^ "'Bittersweet but grateful' - Dale Steyn brings curtain down on illustrious career". ESPNcricinfo. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.