South African fast bowler Dale Steyn, in an interview with YouTube channel Cricket Pakistan, underlined the difference between Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL), saying that it is “more rewarding” to play in other leagues such as PSL and Sri Lankan Premier League.

“To be honest with you I think playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to the 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”, Steyn said in the interview.

“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? That’s just me being brutally honest”, the South African speedstar further said.

The pacer, who is currently representing the Quetta Gladiators in
the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League, issued an apology for his earlier comments regarding the IPL.

“IPL has been nothing short of amazing in my career, as well as other players too. My words were never intended to be degrading, insulting, or comparing of any leagues. Social media and words out of context can often do that”, he tweeted on Tuesday, addressing the issue.

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Steyn had earlier pulled out of IPL
2020, stressing on the fact that he was not retiring.

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Having played a total of 95 matches in
the IPL, the South African played only three matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore,
picking up a single wicket at an economy rate of 11.40 before pulling out of
the league.

In January this year, he removed himself
from IPL 2021 as well, saying that he would participate in other leagues around
the world, leading to RCB releasing him ahead of the auctions.