South Africa Fast Bowler Dale Steyn Announces Retirement From Test Cricket

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday in a bid to extend his longevity in the shorter forms of the game. After making his red-ball debut against England in 2004, the 36-old bowler went on to play 93 matches for South Africa, picking up 439 wickets at an astonishing average of 22.95. Confirming Steyn's decision, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) tweeted, "It's terrible to consider never playing another Test again but what's more terrifying is the thought of never playing again at all. So I will be focusing on ODIs and T20s for the rest of my career to maximise my full potential and ensure my longevity in this sport."

It's terrible to consider never playing another Test again but what's more terrifying is the thought of never playing again at all. So I will be focusing on ODIs and T20s for the rest of my career to maximise my full potential and ensure my longevity in this sport." @DaleSteyn62 pic.twitter.com/CYvxPtCecY

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) August 5, 2019

"Today I walk away from a format of the game I love so much," said the 36-year-old Steyn, his country's leading Test wicket-taker of all time and one of the top 10 in the history of the game.

"In my opinion Test cricket is the best version of this game. It tests you mentally, physically, emotionally. It's terrible to consider never playing another Test again but what's more terrifying is the thought of never playing again at all.

"So I will be focusing on ODIs and T20s for the rest of my career to maximise my full potential and ensure my longevity in this sport. I look forward to continuing to play for the Proteas in the shorter formats."

CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe hailed Steyn as "undoubtedly one of the all-time greats of cricket".

"He has been one of the standout fast bowlers in world cricket. He has led the South African attack brilliantly and has set the standard for our future generations to follow," said a "saddened" Moroe.

"More than that he has been a wonderful mentor to our next generation of speedsters."

Steyn, off-late, has bee marred by several injuries which forced him to spend more time away from the field.

A shoulder injury ruled him out of World Cup 2019 without playing any match for South Africa, who fared way below their expectations in the showpiece event.

Just before World Cup, Steyn could only play two matches for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, after being roped-in mid season, before an inflammatory shoulder ruled him out of the rest of the season.

Steyn last played a Test in February against Sri Lanka and is still contracted in the white-ball form of the game for the 2019-20 season and therefore remains available for South Africa in One Day Internationals and T20s.

(With AFP inputs)

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