South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has decided to retire from cricket after contributing so much to the game for 16 years. On Tuesday, he made an announcement on Social Media. A legend in the game for his nation, Steyn is a fast-bowling icon of his country. After retirement, he is looking to take a break to become a “dog dad”. He has some professional plans as well i.e to work in the coaching section.
What Dale Steyn Said In A Special Message While Announcing His Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket?
Steyn played a tally of 93 Tests, 125 ODIs and a total of 47 T20 internationals for the South African national side. That is since his debut back in 2004. Steyn is ranked 15th on the list of most international wickets across formats with 699 scalps from 265 games.
The star pacer still holds the record for the fastest 400 Test wickets. He also held the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014 at the height of his career.
A recent video of him foxing Cheteshwar Pujara went viral on Twitter. Below is the link-
A master at work ?
(via @CountyChamp) pic.twitter.com/bcE8ahiQ3B
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 31, 2021
The fast bowler was ICC Test Cricketer of the Year in 2008. What an illustrious career he had. Steys said that for the Covid 19 restrictions, he is not finding fun to play and that has made him decide to bring an end to his successful career.
“I guess Covid-19 kind of made me see things really differently now. It was not fun anymore. If it is not fun then it is not worth doing.”
In his Social Media post, he summed up his state of mind as “bittersweet but grateful”.
Steyn’s last professional appearance in cricket was in the Pakistan Super League where he represented Quetta Gladiators in March this year. He did not wish to play in the Indian Premier League this year to take a little break.
Last year he retired from Test cricket as South Africa’s highest wicket-taker with 439 wickets. He was also named in the ICC Test Team Of The Decade.
Steyn last played international cricket for South Africa on the 21st of February, 2020. He said in his statement that it was a bittersweet experience. Despite that, he is grateful to play the game he loves the most.
What Did The Former South African Pacer Say On A Social Media Post After The Announcement?
“It has been a really long December. There is surely some reason to believe that maybe this year will be better than the last. I can not remember the times that I have tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass me by.”
“It has been 20 long years since training, playing matches, travelling, losses, wins, strapped feet, jetlag, joy and the endless brotherhood. There are too many memories to tell and share. Too many faces to thank. So I left it to the experts at the end. To add to that and sum up, my favourite band, the Counting Crows.”
“Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bittersweet but grateful. Thank you, everyone. From my family to teammates, journalists to the fans. It has been an incredible journey together.”
CountyChamp on Twitter posted a spell of Dale Steyn where he set up Pujara to dismiss him. After the news of Dale Steyn’s retirement from cricket, we had to re-live this beautiful set-up of Pujara. A lot of batsmen must be getting nightmares watching the highlights of how they were outclassed.
Dale Steyn was one of the best bowlers that cricket produced. His contribution to cricket and South African cricket, in particular, is unmatched. There are surely a lot of young kids that he inspired to play the game and become fast bowlers. We at Beyond The Posts can just say three simple words and surely we speak for the true fans of the game, Thank you, Dale!!
