'IPL has been nothing short of amazing in my career,' Dale Steyn apologises after 'PSL more rewarding' comment

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has clarified his comments in which he had said other Twenty20 (T20) leagues such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL) are more rewarding than the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Steyn had said that because of the huge cash involved in the tournament, cricket takes the back seat. However, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer now has apologised, saying his comments were never meant to demean or compare IPL to other leagues.

"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 to any leagues. Social media and words out of context can often do that. My apologies if this has

upset anyone. Much love," Steyn took to social media to convey his message.

Earlier this year, Steyn had announced that he was making himself unavailable for RCB for IPL 2021 and hence, he was released from the squad ahead of the mini auction that was held in Chennai on Feb. 18. The Proteas pacer had also confirmed that he would not play for any other side as well.

What Steyn said about the PSL and IPL?

"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.

"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. 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," he added in an interview.

Steyn, who has been associated with the cash-rich IPL since 2008, has played 95 matches in the T20 league. He played only three games last year for RCB, taking one wicket.