Cricket gets forgotten in the IPL, PSL is more rewarding: Dale Steyn
South African quick Dale Steyn has revealed the reason behind his decision to skip IPL 2021 to play in other private leagues around the world.
The 37-year-old believes that cricket is on the backburner in the lucrative IPL, while the other tournaments like the Pakistan Super League are more 'rewarding' for players.
Dale Steyn, who is currently plying his trade for the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL, told Cricket Pakistan that he wanted a break from the IPL, where he believes price tags assume more importance than the sport.
"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," said Dale Styen.
Dale Steyn has been a revered name in the IPL. In 95 matches, he has picked up 97 wickets with a best of 3/8. However, multiple injuries have plagued his stints in the IPL. In the last three IPL seasons, Dale Steyn played only six games.
Last year, Dale Steyn played three games for the Royal Challengers Bangalore but failed to make much of an impact before a shoulder injury ruled him out of the competition. He subsequently made himself unavailable for IPL 2021.
I wanted to play in tournaments that I feel are worth it: Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn further talked about the attention he receives in the PSL or the fledgeling Lanka Premier League. He added that he wants to use the fag end of his career playing for teams and tournaments which he feels are 'worth it'.
"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."
Dale Steyn continued in this regard:
"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? That’s just me being brutally honest. I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it.".