Dale Steyn doesn’t hold back, neither on the field nor away from it. The 37-year-old South Africa quick, who held the No.1 Test bowler’s spot for a number of years, is now in the final leg of his esteemed career, but continues to be at his fiery, candid self.

A couple of days after criticising Simon Doull for his on-air comment over Steyn having a “mid-life crisis”, the quick, in an interview during the 2021 PSL, has given a frank take on the money-rich IPL’s priorities, claiming that the “cricket gets forgotten”.

Expectedly, Steyn’s comments on the IPL, which he feels is less rewarding than playing in leagues such as the PSL, did not go down too well with Indian fans, who had spent years watching the South African bowler ply his trade for different IPL franchises.

 

کسی لیگ میں پی ایس ایل کے معیار کی فاسٹ بولنگ دیکھنے کو نہیں ملتی،شاہین حیران کن صلاحیتوں کے مالک ہیں،حارث رﺅف کے ٹیلنٹ سے بھی متاثر ہوا،حسن علی نے جنوبی افریقہ کیخلاف ٹیسٹ میں شاندار کارکردگی دکھائی، اسٹین
مکمل انٹرویو کرکٹ پاکستان ویب سائٹ پر
یوٹیوب لنک https://t.co/QGgeYCcVeR pic.twitter.com/F44wDODtb1

— Saleem Khaliq (@saleemkhaliq) March 2, 2021

In a YouTube show called Cricket Corner, Steyn, part of PSL team Quetta Gladiators this year, spoke about how talks of a player’s paycheque take precedence over knowledge and experience in the IPL.

“When you come to like a PSL or the Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here [PSL] 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 kind of gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL? That’s just me being brutally honest.”

Steyn, who made himself unavailable for IPL 2021, further said that “playing in other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. In IPL, there are so many big squads and so many big names, and there’s so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money that players earn that somewhere along the line, the cricket part kind of gets forgotten.”

Steyn’s comments gained considerable traction on Twitter, inviting the wrath of Indian fans.

Steyn hasn't won IPL but he is an IPL legend
First bowler to bowl 200 dots in a season
First bowler to achieve 1000 dots in IPL if I'm not wrong
Economy of under 7 for 100+ matches or something like that

All these things will be forgotten with that statement of his

— . (@karthik_jammy) March 2, 2021

I think @DaleSteyn62 forget this!! pic.twitter.com/ABBkZnsMCN

— Pradip Hazra (@PradipMsd7) March 2, 2021

Its just that quality of batting is better in IPL where Dale Steyn was finding it tough to survive. He might be feeling better bowling to inferior batsmen.

— Zaffar (@Zaffar_Nama) March 2, 2021

If money didn't matter for Steyn then why he kept his base price 2 crores in previous IPL …. 🙄

— The Demon (@HarshalR9) March 2, 2021

Steyn in IPL since 2015:
Avg > 45
Economy >9.5
Games played : 12
Wickets : 8

We can clearly see why IPL is less rewarding for him

— K (@kartik_offl) March 2, 2021

He may be a great bowler but is a shameless opportunist. He would have been unsold or at best a bench bowler in IPL. Just sour because he is no longer among the leading bowlers in world cricket. https://t.co/VnMFI0dbaL

— Anup R (@YNWA_AR) March 2, 2021

Well he knew he'd have been smacked all around if he had played in the IPL with majority of current players playing in it. PSL is heaven for retired players and thus Steyn went there because he would get to play games, In IPL he would have been warming bench.

— RAHUL DHERE (@lordofrinnegan) March 2, 2021

he'll do these things cause he hasn't done anything in IPL so far because he isn't that dale steyn anymore , he knew he'll not get selected in team if he not performs , so the only option for him was psl where it doesn't depend how someone is playin but who is playing 😂😂🤭

— Arnav 😎 (@arnavv_1105) March 2, 2021

Dale Steyn says PSL is more rewarding than IPL.
This is what RCB does to great players sadly 😢

— Abhishek 🚜🌾 (@ImAbhishek7_) March 2, 2021