By: Nalin Jayetileke
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has announced his retirement from cricket ending his 18-year International Cricketing career.
Steyn in a statement has said that he felt “bitter sweet but grateful”. Steyn, considered as one of the best bowlers of his generation, made his Test debut in 2004 on home soil against England. South Africa Vs England at Port Elizabeth – De 17-21st 2004.
and the last test was the test natch against Sri Lanka. South Africa Vs Sri Lanka port Elizabeth Feb 21-23 2019.
He announced his retirement form Test cricket as he wanted to focus on the limited overs games , the One day and the T 20 s after a 20n year long test career.
Steyn was named ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year and Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World in 2013 and was number one bowler in the ICC Test rankings a 263 weeks up in the ladder in the said leading cricket journals according t the BBC.
Dale Steyn career
Test Matches
T20I Matches
Dale Steyn had Extreme pace, the ability to swing the ball both ways, and accuracy have perhaps made him one of the country’s best ever. His main weapon was his outs swinger which he bowled stemming in from his run-up that culminated in a kind of a aerodynamic flashy action, which troubled many batsman in the World with sheer pace , bounce and swing. It was a nightmare for any Right handed batsman where he git the ball to swing out of the right handed, swing through the Air and off the pitch at a speed of over 140k, which was difficult for many batsman to negotiate.
Steyn played just seven first-class matches before he was selected for South Africa and made his debut against England in 2004, in the same match as AB de Villiers.
It has been reported that in a match against New Zealand played at the Centurion , a short ball crashed into the face of the batsman Creg Cummings to end up at he intensive care unity , a testimony of Dales speed and trickiness.
In 2008 period , he became the fastest South African at the time, and the 15th fastest overall, to reach 100 Test wickets where he was named ICC Test Player of the Year after taking 86 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 18.10.
A norther noteworthy performance of Dale Steyn is against India in the Subcontinent where he used his speed and Swing in not so helpful slow wickets, to take 7 wickets for 51 , where South Africa beat India in Nagpur. ..I guess in 2010. Steyn was also instrumental in South Africa’s first Test win agents a top Sri Lankan Side in 2014, a feet that was outstanding for them for over 20 years.
The pace man he was , but he could not stop Grant Elliot hit him he last ball for a six to win the semi final against New Zealand during the 2015 World Cup with wh8ch South Africa whom were hot favorites could not make it the final of the World Cup in which New Zealand Australia played the Final.
Since then Dale has been nursing injuries and neve could make a further impacts till his retirement. A legend in the field of fast bowing and a cricketer that Sri Lankans have a lot of respect for, as a good friend of our players on and of the field whic of course like many fast bowlers, played the game hard and hence, let me take this opportunity on behalf of the news team at thesundayreadrr.lk to wish him all success in all his future endeavors.!
