Dale Willem Steyn (born 27 June 1983) is a South African former professional cricketer who represented the South African national cricket team across all three formats. A right-arm fast bowler known for generating late swing at high pace, Steyn is widely regarded as one of the foremost fast bowlers of the modern era. He held the number one position in the ICC Test bowling rankings for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014.
| Full name | Dale Willem Steyn |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 June 1983 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Role | Right-arm fast bowler |
| National team | South Africa |
| Test retirement | 5 August 2019 |
| Retirement from all cricket | 31 August 2021 |
| Major honours | ICC Test Cricketer of the Year (2008); Wisden Cricketer of the Year (2013); Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World (2013) |
Steyn emerged as a fast bowler whose principal weapon was the ability to swing the ball late while bowling at high speeds. This combination, considered uncommon among fast bowlers, set him apart from many of his contemporaries, with several cricketers describing his length deliveries as particularly difficult to negotiate when the ball was swinging.
During the 2007–08 season, Steyn took 78 wickets at a bowling average of 16.24. This performance led to him being awarded the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award in 2008. He went on to dominate the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings, occupying the number one spot for 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014, a tally that placed him ahead of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, who held the position for 214 weeks. By 6 October 2016, Steyn had spent 2,356 days at the top of the rankings.
In October 2012, former South African Test fast bowler Allan Donald described the South African pace attack — comprising Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel — as the best the country had ever produced.
Steyn was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2013, and was subsequently named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for 2013 in the 2014 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
In December 2015, Steyn sustained a shoulder injury during the Durban Test against England. The injury was followed by a series of further setbacks, and his appearances after 2015 were significantly affected.
In December 2018, during the first Test against Pakistan, Steyn became the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket, surpassing the previous holder of the record, all-rounder and former captain Shaun Pollock.
On 5 August 2019, Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket in order to focus on limited-overs formats. On 31 August 2021, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Steyn's career is notable for the longevity of his dominance at the highest level of Test bowling rankings, his role within a celebrated South African pace attack, and his standing as the leading Test wicket-taker for South Africa. His combination of pace and late swing has been frequently cited as a defining feature of his bowling.