On Tuesday, South Africa legend Dale Steyn announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The Phalaborwa Express took to his official Twitter handle to confirm the news.
Steyn, who has already retired from Test cricket, played 93 Tests, 125 ODIs and 47 T20Is in his illustrious career. The right-armer is the highest wicket-taker for the Proteas in both red-ball format and T20Is. Steyn has taken 439 scalps in Test cricket while 64 in the shortest format. When it comes to ODIs, Steyn is the fifth-highest wicket-taker for South Africa, with 194 scalps to his name.
Steyn last played an ODI game in 2019 against Sri Lanka, while his last T20I match came against Australia in 2020.
Steyn enjoyed success in the franchise cricket as well. He played for several teams such as Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Brisbane Heat, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Lions, Jamaica Tallawahs, Cape Town Knight Riders, Cape Town Blitz, Glasgow Giants, Melbourne Stars, Islamabad United, Kandy Tuskers and Quetta Gladiators. The 36-year-old featured in 228 T20 games, in which he bagged 263 wickets at an average of 22 and strike rate of 19.20, with 4/9 being his best figure.
Steyn shared a statement on Twitter where he thanked his family, teammates, journalists and fans for the incredible support and affection.
“And it’s been a long December, and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than last. I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass,” wrote Steyn.
“It’s been 20 years since training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jetlag, joy, and brotherhood. There are too many memories to tell. Too many faces to thank. So I left it to the experts, to 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 family to teammates, journalists to fans; it’s been an incredible journey together,” he added.