South Africa’s gun fast bowler Dale Steyn has made an eye-catching statement as he believes playing in the Pakistan Super League is more rewarding than playing in the cash-rich IPL. Steyn feels as the IPL is a massive tournament, with high-quality players available, the focus is not so much on the game but it is more on the money.
Thus, Steyn revealed that he had decided to skip IPL 2021. Steyn is currently part of the RCB unit but he had played only three matches in the previous season before shoulder injury ruled him out. In fact, Steyn has played a total of six matches in the last three editions of the IPL.
There is no doubt that Steyn is not anymore at the peak of his powers and his career has been plagued by a number of injuries in the last few years. Steyn feels playing in the smaller leagues is more rewarding as the focus is on cricket.
“I wanted some time off. I found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten,” said Dale Styen said while talking to Cricket Passion.
Meanwhile, Steyn has played 95 IPL matches in which he has scalped 97 wickets with the best of 3-8. The Proteas fast bowler is currently playing for Quetta Gladiators in the ongoing PSL.
Steyn added that the players discuss about cricket and experiences in leagues like the PSL and Lankan Premier League whereas the focus shifts to money in the lucrative league like the IPL.
“When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it.”
“Whereas, when I go to something like the IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL? That’s just me being brutally honest. I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it.”.
Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators are yet to register their first win of the ongoing PSL season. Steyn has thus far played a solitary match in the PSL 2021 in which he scalped two wickets and conceded 44 runs in his four overs.
