Dale Steyn is the most successful Test bowler of South Africa. (Source: Reuters)Dale Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect on Monday bringing down the curtains on one of the great fast bowling Test careers of the modern era. The 36-year-old said that he took the decision as he wanted to prolong his career.
Steyn played 93 Tests for South Africa, finishing with 439 wickets, the most in the long format by a Proteas bowler. His strike-rate of 42.3 balls per wicket is the best of anyone with more than 200 Test wickets, while his 263 weeks spent atop the ICC MRF Tyres Test Bowling Rankings is also unmatched by any other bowler.
Steyn will be available to play for South Africa in One-Day and T20 International series. Steyn continues to be a nationally contracted player for the 2019/2020 season in white-ball cricket and therefore remains available for the Standard Bank Proteas in both One-Day International and T20 International cricket.
“Today I walk away from a format of the game I love so much. In my opinion Test cricket is the best version of this game. It tests you mentally, physically, emotionally,” said Steyn in an emotional statement on Twitter.
“It’s terrible to consider never playing another Test again,” he said before adding, “But what’s more terrifying is the thought of never playing again at all. So I will be focusing on ODIs and T20s for the rest of my career to maximise my full potential and ensure my longevity in this sport.”
“Dale is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats of cricket. From the time he made his Test debut against England in 2004 and dismissed their captain, Michael Vaughan, with a superb delivery, he has been one of the standout fast bowlers in world cricket,” said Cricket South Africa chief Thabang Greg Moroe.
