Dale Steyn

At 41 years old, Dale Steyn has this physical status:

Dale Willem Steyn (born 27 June 1983) is a professional cricketer for the South African Cricket Team.

He is known as one of the top fast bowlers of all time.

Steyn won the ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year Award after a tally of 78 wickets per an average of 16.24 runs.

In 2013's Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Steyn, one of the Best Cricketers of the Year, and the World's Best Cricketer in the World for the year 2013; a record 263 weeks ago.

With 214 weeks, Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan appears next on the list.

Steyn has spent 2,356 days at the top as of October 6, the most by any bowler since World War II.

Allan Donald, a former South African test cricketer, called the South African pace attack, which Steyn was part of, alongside Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, the best South Africa has ever produced.

In the 2014 Hollywood film Blended, Steyn appeared as himself.

Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket in December 2018 during the first Test against Pakistan, formerly held by all-rounder and former captain Shaun Pollock.

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Early life and domestic career

Steyn was born in 1983 in Phalaborwa, South Africa's tiny town of Phalaborwa, on the border of the Kruger National Park. His family is from Zimbabwe.

On October 17, 2003, Steyn made his first-class debut for Northerns (subsequently merged with Easterns to form the Titans). He only played two first-class games and made no impact in his first season, but after a string of good results in the first part of the 2004/2005 season, he was called up to the Test squad to face England. Since struggling to perform in his first three Tests, he returned to play for the Titans.

Steyn came from England to play for Essex in 2005, winning seven matches between May and June. He failed to make a difference in his first outing in County Championship cricket, taking 14 wickets at 59.85. Ian Pont Steyn, a world expert bowling coach, returned to domestic cricket in South Africa, where he bowled superbly for the Titans in 2005/2006, earning him his recall to the Test squad against New Zealand.

Steyn seized the opportunity to secure his place in the South Africa Test squad, but he has since been a regular pick for the national team, playing little domestic cricket in South Africa from then onward, appearing for the Titans in only three SuperSport Series matches.

In the first half of the 2007 English season, he had a second stint in England, playing for Warwickshire. This time around, he had more success, winning 23 County Championship wickets in seven matches at an average of 25.86. He also excelled in the Friends Provident Trophy, a 50-over-over tournament, finishing as the leading wicket taker for Warwickshire. Since being a regular on the South African One Day International team, he has been a regular.

Steyn signed to play in the Indian Premier League in 2008, while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. For his participation in the tournament, he received US$325,000. He appeared with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League for the first three seasons. He was bought by Deccan Chargers for $1.2 million in IPL 2011. Since the Deccan Chargers were cut from the IPL, he was sent to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he spent three seasons.

He was purchased by Gujarat Lions for 22.3 million in the 2016 IPL auction. Since being released by the Gujarat Lions before the season, he could not participate in the 2017 IPL season. At the 2018 and 2019 IPL auctions, he went unsold. Steyn joined Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2019 IPL season as a replacement for the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile.

He was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2020 Indian Premier League in the 2020 IPL auction. He appeared in three matches in the tournament, picking one wicket at an average of 133 and an economy rate of 11.40. He was cut from the team early in the season.

In September 2019, he was selected in the Cape Town Blitz team for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament. Steyn announced in October that he would compete in the Melbourne Stars' Big Bash in October 2019. He was first chosen by Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United as their first pick of the draft in the Platinum Category in December 2019.

Steyn joined Kandy Tuskers for the 2020 Lanka Premier League in November 2020. He was chosen by Quetta Gladiators in the Supplementary category of the 2021 PSL Draft.

International career

In the first Test of England's tour, Steyn made his South African debut on December 17th. Marcus Trescothick, his first victim in Test cricket, was bowled by him in a fast in-swing delivery. However, his overall result was underwhelming, he took eight wickets at an average of 52.00 and was suspended after bowling poorly in England's second innings of the fourth Test in January 2005, bowling eight no-balls in nine overs, which took 47 runs. England won the match by 77 runs.

Steyn was selected in the African XI squad in 2005/06, and he made his One Day International debut on August 17, 2005. The African XI won the match, with Steyn bowling last batsman Ashish Nehra to seal victory by two runs. On January 20, 2006, Steyn made his One Day International debut for South Africa in a match against Australia at Melbourne, which was part of the 2005–06 VB Series. Steyn did not bowl well, and after another subpar performance against Sri Lanka, he dropped out of consideration for the South African ODI team.

Steyn was recalled to the Test side to face New Zealand in April 2006 after a good season playing domestic cricket for the Titans. He responded to his chance by taking his first five-wicket haul in Centurion's first Test at Centurion alongside Makhaya Ntini as New Zealand stoutnet, chasing 248 to victory. With 16 wickets at 26.00, he concluded the three Test series and left a good impression throughout.

In a two match series in July and August 2006, Steyn was included in the Test squad to face Sri Lanka away in a two-match series. Sri Lanka piled up 756–5 in his first overseas Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene bringing together the best Test match team ever (624 runs). South Africa was defeated by an innings and 153 runs. Steyn took his second five-wicket haul in Tests during Sri Lanka's first innings but was wicketless in their second innings as Sri Lanka won by a single wicket in a second Test. Steyn had eight wickets in a row at an average of 36.50.

Steyn retained his Test position against India for the three match home series. In India's first Test at Johannesburg, he sustained an injury while bowling early, and also barred him from participating in the game and also banned him from participating in the second Test. He returned to play in the match's pivotal third Test at Cape Town, bowling out six wickets for 88 runs as South Africa clinched the match and the sequence. He ended the series with six wickets at an average of 19.00.

Despite his solid play in the team's third Test against India, Steyn missed out on a spot in the first two Tests against Pakistan, with selectors choosing full-time spinner Paul Harris instead. In the third Test, at Cape Town, when the selectors decided to rest André Nel and Shaun Pollock in preparation for the forthcoming 2007 Cricket World Cup, he returned. South Africa defeated the match by 5 wickets and went 2–1. He took four wickets in the match for 87 runs. As this was his first match, his average for the series was 21.7 percent.

Steyn was recalled to the South African ODI squad in June 2007 and played in three games against Ireland, India, and Zimbabwe between June and August. In these three matches, he had mixed success, taking wickets but not being costly.

Steyn was selected for the Test squad to tour Pakistan in October and participated in both Tests. Pakistan's second Test of Test at Karachi saw him score his third Test five-wicket haul as Pakistan were bowled out for 263, winning by 424. He had an unremarkable second Test, with the match stalling out to a draw, appointing South Africa the series 1–0, and ending the series with nine wickets at 24.66.

Steyn was a long-serving member of the Test team and he put on his best run in the two Test matches against New Zealand in November. In the first Test at Johannesburg, he collected his fourth and fifth five-wicket hauls (5/35 and 5/59) and his first ten-wicket match as New Zealand were defeated by 358 runs, South Africa's largest victory margin in terms of runs to date. Steyn was also given his first Test Man-of-the-Match award. South Africa won by an innings and 59 runs in this ferocious form in the second Test at Centurion, where he went 4/42 in the first innings and his sixth five-wicket haul (6/49) to help the South Africans win by an innings and 59 runs. His second ten-wicket match earned him his second Man-of-the-Match award in a row, and his string of 20 wickets at an average of 9.20 earned him his first Man-of-the-Series award. For the first time in his career, he ranked in the top five of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers.

In the one-off game against New Zealand, he made his Twenty20 International debut on November 23, 2007, wickets of Scott Styris and only giving up 17 runs from his four overs. He also participated in the third One Day International at Cape Town, where he had partial success, taking the wickets of the New Zealand openers, Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, but went for 50 runs from nine overs.

Steyn's next international appearance was against the West Indies in the first Twenty20 International. He produced stunning figures in three overs, with all four wickets being picture perfect yorkers, but the West Indies were unable to stop the West Indies from chasing down the target of 59 runs in a match reduced to 13 overs by rain.

Steyn's form remained in the Test series. In the first Test at Port Elizabeth, he had a very uneven match, with 5/188 being the first away victory in Test matches for two and a half years, but the West Indies scored their first away victory in Test matches in South Africa's second innings, despite his highest Test match score to date, 33 not out. In the second Test at Cape Town, he produced figures of 4/60 and 4/44, as South Africa leveled the play and demonstrated his worth in the deciding third Test at Durban, taking 1/18 and 6/72, his seventh five-wicket haul. His 20 wickets at 19.10 earned him his second straight Man-of-the-Series award.

He was recalled for the second match of the One Day International series in Johannesburg but failed to take a wicket and going for 62 runs in his ten overs during his third match at Port Elizabeth, but he didn't perform well in the first three matches, losing one wicket and going for 78 runs from ten overs.

Steyn helped South Africa avoid an embarrassing loss in the first Test of the two match series against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Bangladesh was bowled out for 192 in their first innings, with Steyn claiming 3/27, but South Africa collapsed to 170 all out, giving the hosts a jolled 22 runs lead. However, Steyn (4/48) eventually combined with Jacques Kallis (5/30) to restrict Bangladesh to 182 all out, and South Africa was unable to win by a five wicket match on the fourth day of the game. South Africa won the second Test at Chittagong (by an innings and 205 runs), and Steyn returned figures of 4/66 and 3/35, earning him his third consecutive Man-of-the-Series award. When Steyn dismissed Junaid Siddique in Bangladesh's first innings (his 20th match), he set the record for the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Tests, defeating Hugh Tayfield's record of 21 wickets. He is the only player to play Test cricket in the United States.

Steyn appeared in the final One Day International of the three match series, but only gave away 19 runs in 8 overs.

Some commentators' assessments of Steyn's performance against India were mixed, with some commentators naming him as a vital piece of a South African team that could pose a significant threat to India, while others speculated he would struggle against a strong batting lineup on lifeless subcontinent pitches.

The first Test at Chennai turned out to be a high scoring affair, with South Africa batting first and making 540, followed by Virender Sehwag's 419 from 304 balls, leading to a thrilling response by the end of the third day. Steyn helped India's lead to 87 runs by dismissing MS Dhoni with a bouncer and flaming through the lower order on the fourth day, taking three wickets in two overs for two runs, both bowled with reverse swinging deliveries. He finished the innings, and the match, which turned into a tame draw, was decided to be a tame draw, with four wickets for 103 runs. South Africa's much-vain Indian batting line was demolished within twenty overs for a modest total of 76 runs on the morning of the second Test at Ahmedabad. Steyn was the pick of the bowlers taking five wickets for 23 runs, dismissing Sehwag and Rahul Dravid and releasing the last three batsmen for the cost of 11 runs. South Africa defeated South Africa by an innings and 90 runs in the second innings, adding three wickets to his match total. Steyn took three first innings wickets in the series, taking him to 15 wickets in the series at an average of 20.20. Steyn debuted in first place in the ICC Test match bowling rankings as a result of this, the culmination of an incredible 2007/08 season in which he took 75 wickets in 11 matches.

Steyn was involved in a historic 9th wicket partnership with J.P. Duminy in the 2nd Test match in a three-match series. Steyn produced 76 (191 deliveries) in an innings that helped South Africa recover from 6–141 to 459. Steyn also appeared in the first innings with a record of 5–87 (29.0 overs). Steyn's second innings figures were 5–67 (20.2 overs) and aided South Africa in limiting the Australians to 247, giving the hosts a 183 advantage over the hosts. Steyn now had match figures of 10 to 154. This is the third time he has taken ten wickets in a Test match in his Test career. South Africa won with nine wickets in hand, giving them a 2–0 series lead and their first ever Test series victory in Australia. It was also Australia's first home series defeat in 16 years. For this appearance, Steyn was named man of the match. Steyn made a back-and-forth in a 105-ball match in Sydney attempting to stop an Australian victory in the 3rd Test in the hosts' tumultuous configuration, with 28 runs in 65 balls. However, when he was out with 50 balls to go, wounded captain Graeme Smith came in with a broken hand in an attempt to hold out. Smith was eventually bowled out by Mitchell Johnson with ten balls to go.

During the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, Steyn posted his best ODI figures of 50 runs against India in Nagpur. India had a good start to their batting innings, but they were unable to sustain their momentum after losing their final 9 wickets for only 29 runs. Steyn was instrumental in the derailment of a solid Indian batting line-up. The ICC and Cricinfo announced him in the 'Team of the Tournament' for the 2011 World Cup.

Doug Bracewell was bowled out in the first session of the New Zealand tour to South Africa on January 2nd, 2013. He was out of 300 Test wickets in 61 matches. He made the record-breaking South African bowler in eight years and 16 days, surpassing Shaun Pollock in terms of time taken in terms of time.

Steyn made his career best test result at home on February 3, 2013 after Pakistan was disqualified for their lowest ever test result of 49, which was also the third cheapest six-wicket haul in the test history. He went on to pick five more wickets in the second innings and helped South Africa win the match by 211 runs after being rated man of the match.

In the 2014 romantic comedy Blended starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, Steyn appeared as himself.

In the first innings of the South African tour in Bangladesh, Steyn took 3/78, which was delayed due to a stoppage due to rain. Steyn took his 400 test wickets in a record-breaking feat in terms of balls bowled. On the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh, he took the 400th wicket when Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal was trapped at slip by Hashim Amla. He finished the innings with a 3.3 percent, while the second innings was rained out by heavy rain.

Steyn was disqualified from the away Test series against Australia in 2016–17 after breaking his right shoulder bone in the first Test in Perth.

He missed the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy after recovering from surgery, but he was named in the South Africa A squad for their tour of England a few months later. However, he returned to competitive cricket in November 2017, a year after the injury, while playing for the Titans at the Ram Slam T20 Challenge. Steyn played his first international Test match against India after 14 months of injury and took up a wicket in just 14 balls. However, Steyn fractured his left heel on the second day of the same Test. With a recovery time of 4 to 6 weeks, he was ruled out of the rest of the series. He was ruled out of the remainder of the series two days later.

Shaun Pollock's record as the highest wicket taker in South Africa test history stood equal to his on December 26, 2018. After a two-year absence, he was called back to the South African ODI squad on September 14th. In a 120-run victory over Zimbabwe on October 3rd, he scored his maiden half-century in ODI cricket against Zimbabwe.

Steyn took his 422nd wicket in Tests in Centurion in December 2018, defeating Shaun Pollock who had held the record for ten years.

He was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in April 2019. However, Steyn was ruled out of the tournament due to a lingering shoulder injury, and Beuran Hendricks was brought to the field. Steyn retired from Test cricket in August 2019.

Steyn announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 31.

Coaching career

Steyn was appointed as the fast bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in December 2021, the 2022 IPL season.

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