Dale Steyn Profile

Dale Steyn Profile

Dale Steyn could be just the latest nuclear-tipped arrow that South Africa have drawn from their seemingly bottomless quiver of classy fast bowlers. The trouble, for opposing batsmen, is that he is rather more than that. Pure pace is one thing, pinpoint pure pace distinctly another. Pinpoint pure pace poison-tipped with aggression still another. Add the regularity with which Steyn moves the ball away from right-handers, and the way his deliveries skid at batsmen - a lack of height isn't all bad - and the danger he poses is obvious.

Steyn has grown into a bowler who has a firm grip on all of the tenets of the faith of the fast and the furious. But his is no paint-by-numbers tale of ability plus skill plus experience seamlessly stitching itself into a story of success.

He began his career armed with more pace than he knew what to do with, and little else: when he played his first Test against England in 2004, he was far from the bowler just described. Then, as he made peace with his bowling action and figured out how best to hone a body seemingly not suited to the rigours of life as fast bowler for just that fate, came the accuracy. Steyn took 16 wickets in his second series, but there remained a suspicion that he wasn't as dominant and aggressive as a fast bowler of his class should be. He was simply too nice.

All of which changed in South Africa's home series against the New Zealanders in 2007-08. A visibly fired up Steyn took ten wickets in the first Test in Johannesburg. Then, shortly after lunch on the first day of the second Test in Centurion, he earned all that nastiness he needed in the sickening instant in which Craig Cumming flapped at a short delivery. Cumming missed, and the ball crashed into his face and sent him to intensive care. Suddenly, Steyn was no longer a nice kid with a bit of zip.

The flow of wickets became a gush, and in 2008, he became the fastest South African, and the 15th fastest overall, to reach 100 Test wickets. That September, Steyn was named ICC Test Player of the Year after taking 86 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 18.10. And so on and so forth ... expect many more stupendous statistics in the years to come.

Full name Dale Willem Steyn

Born June 27, 1983, Phalaborwa 

Current age 27 years 152 days

Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Essex, Northerns, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Titans, Warwickshire

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast

Batting and fielding averages

    Mat     Inns     NO     Runs     HS     Ave     BF     SR     100     50     4s     6s     Ct     St
Tests     43     54     13     577     76     14.07     1358     42.48     0     1     57     13     12     0
ODIs     43     14     5     86     35     9.55     95     90.52     0     0     4     4     7     0
T20Is     21     4     2     8     5     4.00     10     80.00     0     0     0     0     8     0
First-class     84     100     25     1081     82     14.41     2203     49.06     0     3             18     0
List A     87     29     12     132     35     7.76     161     81.98     0     0             13     0
Twenty20     71     17     5     51     22     4.25     55     92.72     0     0     3     2     21     0

Bowling averages

 
    Mat     Inns     Balls     Runs     Wkts     BBI     BBM     Ave     Econ     SR     4w     5w     10
Tests     43     79     8771     5159     217     7/51     10/91     23.77     3.52     40.4     13     14     4
ODIs     43     42     2120     1904     61     4/16     4/16     31.21     5.38     34.7     3     0     0
T20Is     21     21     468     531     29     4/9     4/9     18.31     6.80     16.1     1     0     0
First-class     84         16221     9153     371     8/41         24.67     3.38     43.7     18     22     6
List A     87         4180     3372     130     5/20     5/20     25.93     4.84     32.1     4     2     0
Twenty20     71     69     1572     1788     74     4/9     4/9     24.16     6.82     21.2     1     0     0

Career statistics

Test debut     South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Dec 17-21, 2004 

Last Test     Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010

ODI debut     Africa XI v Asia XI at Centurion, Aug 17, 2005
Last ODI     Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010

T20I debut     South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg, Nov 23, 2007
Last T20I     West Indies v South Africa at North Sound, May 20, 2010

First-class debut     2003/04
Last First-class     Pakistan v South Africa at Abu Dhabi, Nov 20-24, 2010
List A debut     2004/05
Last List A     Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai, Nov 8, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Warriors v Titans at Port Elizabeth, Apr 1, 2005
Last Twenty20     Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Durban, Sep 24, 2010