Oppo Camp Dale Steyn retires from test cricket

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Feb 6, 2013
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I've long searched for even a short highlights of that battle only in vain. I searched in twitter wondering if I could find some link and I did find a few links on YouTube but surprise surprise, all of those channels had been taken down. The BCCI really is an insufferable organisation.
Best bet is some obscure blogspot website with download links of highlights packages.
 

revo333

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One of the best i've seen.

I saw a fair bit of Donald and they are both greats of the game but i'd choose Steyn as the better bowler.
 

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Apr 18, 2005
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F***en hell thats pure filth
Isn’t it? I mean to bowl at that pace and to also have the ability to shape it any which way is just class. Get a look at some of his spells reverse swinging the older ball. Ridiculous control. I reckon I’ve only seen Akram do it, and Waqar had a lethal inswinger. Anderson does it in England but struggles elsewhere.
 

Ishikawa

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Isn’t it? I mean to bowl at that pace and to also have the ability to shape it any which way is just class. Get a look at some of his spells reverse swinging the older ball. Ridiculous control. I reckon I’ve only seen Akram do it, and Waqar had a lethal inswinger. Anderson does it in England but struggles elsewhere.

Anderson is the only other guy I've seen who could turn right hand batsmen inside out like that with such brilliant regularity, but Steyn obviously circa 15kmph quicker and could make legitimately good batsmen fear for their lives.
 
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Donald has the better average, Steyn has more wickets.

I think Steyn does pip him based on the latter.

Steyn's strike rate is insane given the number of Tests he played, and that he had a relatively mediocre start to his Test career (as opposed to someone like Rabada, who was taking wickets at a high rate from the word go).

Interesting too that both Steyn and Malcolm Marshall (both around the 5'11" mark), two of the great quicks of all time, go against that classical long, lanky fast bowler's frame as well. They packed a lot of power and fury and skill into their sub-6'0" frames.
 

The Passenger

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So sad want ever get to see him out in the test arena again. He's been my favourite quick bowler to watch for a long time. Absolute hell could break loose when he come out on the field.

The best bowler of his generation? Too hot of a topic to give it to just one person, but he's got as much a claim to it as anyone else. A lot of that depends on whether you consider Glenn McGrath or Shaun Pollock in his generation, and potentially in 10 years from now whether you consider Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult or Pat Cummins (and with a bit of luck James Pattinson) in his generation.

Indeed he has as much claim to the best bowler of all time as any of about another 15 or so candidates. What is amazing is when you look deeper at his performances there is a barely a hole anywhere - any opposition, at home, touring in any opposition country, year-to-year, early in a test or late in a test, the worst you get is an average of 31 in England. That's actually phenomenal.

The last few years must have been so frustrating for him. I genuinely thought he was on track for 600 wickets, which would have been phenomenal when you consider South Africa play less test cricket than countries like Australia and England.
 

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Apr 18, 2005
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If this guy played in the 1970s he'd be talked about as the best fast bowler ever.
I’d have him very close. Top 2.

1. Marshall
2. Steyn
3. Akram
4. McGrath
5. Hadlee

Steyn had something I’ve not seen in many players; a combination of it all. In his own words he wanted to ‘run in like Lee, Leap like Donald, have the pace of Akhtar and the accuracy of Pollock’. If that was his goal, he achieved it. He had also to add, unbelievable ball control and a perfect wrist position and snap of the wrist.

To me Marshall was the best ever, but Steyn comes in a close second. It’s like saying who gets the first over, Marshall then Steyn. That’s how small a line it is to seperate them.
 

Bareth Garry

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I’d have him very close. Top 2.

1. Marshall
2. Steyn
3. Akram
4. McGrath
5. Hadlee

Steyn had something I’ve not seen in many players; a combination of it all. In his own words he wanted to ‘run in like Lee, Leap like Donald, have the pace of Akhtar and the accuracy of Pollock’. If that was his goal, he achieved it. He had also to add, unbelievable ball control and a perfect wrist position and snap of the wrist.

To me Marshall was the best ever, but Steyn comes in a close second. It’s like saying who gets the first over, Marshall then Steyn. That’s how small a line it is to seperate them.

I agree but what I mean is we (the cricketing fraternity) have taken him a bit for granted. We all talk about how legendary he is now he's hung up his boots but while playing he never really got the plaudits he deserved.
 

Ishikawa

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I agree but what I mean is we (the cricketing fraternity) have taken him a bit for granted. We all talk about how legendary he is now he's hung up his boots but while playing he never really got the plaudits he deserved.

Yeah maybe, but I can't recall another such anticipation of a fast bowler coming to Australia for the first time than him. Don't think you could find any cricket fan that can't appreciate how special he is, though this site does surprise me at times!
 

Wayne Dwop

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A great bowler who almost never was. He had a choice of either joining the South African Navy or playing cricket. He chose cricket because if he had joined the navy he would have been known as Seaman Steyn.
 

Lebbo73

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Enjoy your retirement Steyn. A great fast bowler in his prime up there with McGrath and not far off my favourite, Malcolm Marshall (may he RIP).
 
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