Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn

Cricket has always had a rich history of fast bowling: Trueman, Lillee, Khan, Holding, Marshall, Akram, Younis, Donald, McGrath....and now Steyn?
Dale Steyn is the only current fast bowler who can hold a candle to the past greats. Averaging 23.21 in test, with 238 wickets at an economy of under 4 and a strike rate of 39 his statistics are phenomenal. But they only tell half the story, his spells of fast bowling on the less than placid pitches of india against a juggernaught batting attack showed what he was made of. So the question as to be asked...is he already an all time great fast bowler?

For me the answer will be almost, because the flip side of the coin is his performances in the shorter format of the game. Steyn averages over 27 in ODI cricket and in 54 matches has taken only one 5 wicket haul. All the greats, in particular Akram, were extremely well rounded and successful bowlers in both forms of the game. Steyn is not there yet but in a couple of years he may be...then we can start rating him among the stars.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

He had a great duel with Tendulkar in the recent test series as well...Do you think he is better than Shaun Pollock?

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

He had a great duel with Tendulkar in the recent test series as well...Do you think he is better than Shaun Pollock?

Although you shouldn't really compare him with Pollock, as Polly was more a line and length bowler and a bowling all rounder, but yes Steyn is miles better than Pollock with the ball.

When Steyn gets passed Allan Donald's 330 Test Wickets, he will be(in my eyes) the greatest South African fast bowler of all time.

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

He had a great duel with Tendulkar in the recent test series as well...Do you think he is better than Shaun Pollock?

Although you shouldn't really compare him with Pollock, as Polly was more a line and length bowler and a bowling all rounder, but yes Steyn is miles better than Pollock with the ball.

When Steyn gets passed Allan Donald's 330 Test Wickets, he will be(in my eyes) the greatest South African fast bowler of all time.

Less than 100 wickets away now

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

He had a great duel with Tendulkar in the recent test series as well...Do you think he is better than Shaun Pollock?

Although you shouldn't really compare him with Pollock, as Polly was more a line and length bowler and a bowling all rounder, but yes Steyn is miles better than Pollock with the ball.

When Steyn gets passed Allan Donald's 330 Test Wickets, he will be(in my eyes) the greatest South African fast bowler of all time.

Less than 100 wickets away now

If he stays fit and motivated, McGrath's 563 is under threat.

I really never though any modern fast bowler would get close to McGrath's record!

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:

sonic_boom10 wrote:You don't know what you're talking about.

Steyn has 81 ODI wickets @ 27.61. He has 1 5 wicket haul, vs India.

This guy is the most complete bowler in the World.

Thanks for that I just realised my mistake on his ODI statistics I haven't updated his last 10 matches in ODIS and he has record has come down to 27.61. He is the best bowler in the world currently but im on about the ATG bowlers...he will probably be up there soon but not at the moment.

Leaving aside ODIs/T20s

He's Test record is even more remarkable due to falter pitches these days. An average of 30 these days is seen as good.

Steyn is a freak, on such unhelpful decks he's able to steamroll any side.

I'm sure his ODI record will get to the same level pretty soon.

He had a great duel with Tendulkar in the recent test series as well...Do you think he is better than Shaun Pollock?

Although you shouldn't really compare him with Pollock, as Polly was more a line and length bowler and a bowling all rounder, but yes Steyn is miles better than Pollock with the ball.

When Steyn gets passed Allan Donald's 330 Test Wickets, he will be(in my eyes) the greatest South African fast bowler of all time.

Less than 100 wickets away now

If he stays fit and motivated, McGrath's 563 is under threat.

I really never though any modern fast bowler would get close to McGrath's record!

I think he will get at least 450 wickets and like you said if he beats McGrath's record it depends on staying fit.

Ability wise hes one of the best , but to be a true "Hall of famer" you need to have a prolonged career and peform throughout it.
Even Bradmans record is regularly attacked for having retired early and not having played that many tests.
Hes well on his way there though and is the clear great bowler of the current generation. Andersons record over the last couple of years is up there with his, but career wise is nowhere near.

With regard to limited overs he does have a good record there. Id also argue that uit takes more to be a success in all forms now than it did in the past. As well as havbing added a third format the klimited overs game requires much more specialised bowling than it did 20 years ago. The way the game has gone has forced a rethink in bowlers hwo now cant hjust get away with playing teh same way they do in tests. Limited overs requires a much greater variety of balls and a tactical mindeset to go with it.
Players have to bowl very differently in ODIs to how they do in tests, and more so than in the past.

On top of all that hes done this without the aid of bottlecaps, concrete steps, dirt in his capatins pocket, jelly beans, murray mints, vaseline, or biteing the ball.

He's a fantastic bowler. Did anyone see him destroy the West Indies last year? Those were poroper flat pitches aswell.