Former South Africa Pacer Dale Steyn said that playing in Pakistan Super League (PSL) and other T20 leagues was “more rewarding than playing in IPL" because there is too much emphasis on money that “cricket gets forgotten.”
Speaking to Express Tribune, Dale Steyn said, “I wanted some time off. I found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player.”
“I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten,” he added.
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Dale Steyn, who was has been part of various teams in IPL over the years including Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Lions, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, announced on Twitter this year that he won’t be part of the 14th season of IPL.
“When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here 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 gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL?” said Steyn.
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"I wanted to probably stay away from that this year and put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams," Steyn added.
Dale Steyn is representing the Quetta Gladiators in PSL. He was part of Royal Challenger Bangalore in IPL 2020 and picked up just one wicket in three matches at a strike-rate of 11.40.
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