Dale Steyn

Known for his fiery-on field persona, Steyn is able to produce the rare combination of controlled swing and extreme speed. A modern-wizard, his bowling has inspired millions around the world to take up fast bowling.

Biography- About Dale Steyn

There are not many bowlers in world cricket who can clock 150 kmph consistently and South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is surely among them. Steyn, currently aged 37, is one of the most menacing fast bowlers who has been the gold standard of pace all throughout his career.

Steyn is known for having amazing combination - the ability to make the ball do his bidding and that too at sheer pace.

Dale Steyn: Along the years

Records

1. Sat on the number one ICC Test rankings for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014

Awards

1. ICC Player of the Year Award (Test) 2008
2. ICC Test Team of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
3. ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2011, 2014
4. Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 2014
5. Wisden Leading Cricketer: 2013

Career

Domestic Career

Dale Steyn made his first-class debut for Northerns in 2003. A strong performance in the 2004 first-class season saw him being called up to the test squad to play England, but there he had a lukewarm international debut, which later led to his exclusion from the team.

The South African pacer went to play county cricket for Essex in 2005 after being dropped and returned to first-class cricket in the 2005 season. His excellent performance in the domestic season led to a recall to the test squad against New Zealand.

He had a second stint in England, playing for Warwickshire in the first half of the 2007 English season. This time around he had more success, claiming 23 County Championship wickets in seven matches at an average of 25.86.

IPL Career

Dale Steyn started his IPL career by donning the red and golden of Royal Challengers Bangalore where he played for the first three years with moderate success. After RCB released the pace bowler, the now defunct Deccan Chargers side snaffled him up for $1.2 dollars in the auction for the fourth season of the premier competition.

Later he was drafted to Sunrisers Hyderabad where he played three seasons. After CSK and RR were suspended and a major auction occurred, the South African moved to Gujarat lions for ₹ 22.3 million. In mid-April 2019, Steyn joined RCB yet again for the 2019 IPL season replacing injured Nathan Coulter-NileIn the 2020 IPL auction, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2020 Indian Premier League.

International Career

Test Career

The Steyn-gun made his debut for South Africa alongside AB de Villiers on 17 December 2004 in the first Test of England's tour. His first victim in Test cricket was Marcus Trescothick whom he bowled with a fast in-swinging delivery.

Steyn went back to the domestic arena and after some impressive performances made a comeback to the senior. In the first Test against New Zealand in April 2006 at Centurion, Dale Steyn ripped through the Kiwi batting order as the New Zealanders collapsed on 120, chasing 248 to win.

He took his first five-wicket haul against New Zealand and ended up getting 16 wickets in the series at an average of 26.00. He impressed everyone and continued to perform steadily for his team.

After 3 years of ousters from the side and an anxious wait in the fringes, it was the age of Dale Steyn. He went to Pakistan and blew away the Subcontinent team and once again during a home series against Kiwis, gave them all sorts of troubles.

Steyn picked up a scarcely believable 86 wickets in 14 games in 2008, earning him the prestigious ICC Player of the Year award in 2008. He became the fastest South African at the time, and the 15th fastest overall, to reach 100 Test wickets. After stalwarts like Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock called it a day, Steyn went on to form a lethal opening partnership with Morne Morkel. 

He was part of the South African side that beat England and Australia for the first time away from home since readmission, and then proved he could do it on the subcontinent. In 2010, Steyn summoned reverse-swing reminiscent of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and took 7 for 51 as South Africa beat India in Nagpur.

In late 2013, when India toured South Africa, Steyn went through the longest wicketless phase in the first Test at Johannesburg, but came back to skittle the Indians with a five-for in Durban as South Africa clinched the series 1-0.

Steyn went on to break the 400-wicket barrier in 2017, and equalled Shaun Pollock’s tally of 421 Test wickets by the end of the short 2-Test away series against Sri Lanka in 2018

ODI Career

Dale Steyn made his One Day International debut on 17 August 2005 against Asia XI and later made his South Africa debut against Australia at Melbourne on 20 January 2006. And just like his Test debut, his insipid performance led to a quick axing from the team.

In 2011 World Cup Quarter final, Steyn picked up 2 for 42 in his 10 overs but was outbowled by Imran Tahir (2/35) and Morne Morkel (3/46) on a slow surface.

He led South Africa's attack at the 2015 World Cup but also became the face of their failed campaign. He delivered the final over in the semi-final against New Zealand and was hit for six by Grant Elliott off the penultimate ball.

T20I Career

Dale Steyn made his T20I debut against New Zealand on 23 November 2007 where he bowled 4 overs, conceded 17 runs and took the wicket of Scott Styris. Unlike the other two formats, Steyn never really played for South Africa for an extended period of time in the T20 format. He has so far played 47 T20Is and taken 64 wickets in them at an average of 18.35.

Family

Dale Steyn was born on 27 June 1983 in Phalaborwa, which is in the high north-east of South Africa. Steyn is the product of a family with an Afrikaans name whose first (and only) language is English. His father worked in a mine in the small time town and chances were high that if Steyn didn't make it in cricket, he was going to go down the same path.