• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Where does Dale Steyn stack up historically

How good was Steyn as a pace bowler?


  • Total voters
    48

MrPrez

International Debutant
Hopefully we can keep the debates out of the great man's retirement thread and discuss it in a dedicated thread here.

See poll.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
He was very good. Not the GOAT, I think that McGrath and Marshall share that honour.

Sits in a top tier with Marshall, McGrath, Hadlee, Ambrose, Garner and Lillee of guys who have played since the 70s.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Top X probably. Maybe my memory fails me but I cannot recollect him picking up too many wickets with the in ducker or off the seam (be happy to retract this perception). Which means nothing in the greater reckoning; he was obviously very, very effective with outswing and bumpers. But I'm more partial towards the likes of Marshall, McGrath, and Ambrose whose minds you could practically see working through the gears as they set batsmen up.
 
Last edited:

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Top shelf quick. Easily top 10 of all time, perhaps even the GOAT. I don't have enough hairs left to split between him, McGrath, Marshall, Hadlee and Ambrose.
 

MrPrez

International Debutant
Top X probably. Maybe my memory fails me but I cannot recollect him picking up too many wickets with the in ducker or off the seam (be happy to retract this perception). Which means nothing in the greater reckoning; he was obviously very, very effective with outswing and bumpers. But I'm more partial towards the likes of Marshall, McGrath, and Ambrose whose minds you could practically see working through the gears as they set batsmen up.
He was capable of getting reverse, but not natural in-swing. Wasn't particularly productive off the seam either. But despite this, he was always a wicket-taking threat - even in the tough subcontinental conditions. Regardless of how he did it, I'd imagine he was as effective as those guys in tough conditions (although I may be wrong).

This poll is a bit of a silly thing for me to put out there, tbh, as I could as easily see him being positioned top 3 as I could top 10, and it's very difficult to argue against either. But fun to see the general perception, nonetheless.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Top 10 is fair. Not quite on the same level as Glenn McGrath, Malcolm Marshall or Jackson Bird though
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Top 10 but not top 5 for me


But with best pacers the top 15 all have really similar records so it becomes really subjective
 

StephenZA

Hall of Fame Member
Steyn is definite top 5 for me. And above McGrath. If nothing else his subcontinent exploits and SR is better than just about any other bowler of the modern era, setting him apart.
 

Logan

U19 Captain
1. The best Strike Rate in the 140 year history of Test cricket

2. A world record 263 wickets as number one in Test ratings

3. A record 92 wickets in Asia at an average of 22 and a SR of 42.9


What elevates Dale Steyn among the greats was he was way ahead of his peers than any other bowler in history.


Top 3 Fast bowler and a candidate for the GOAT fast bowler
 
Last edited:

trundler

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Will take McGrath-Marshall-Steyn to be my ATG pace attack any day. Bounce, skid, seam, swing and reverse swing.
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Top 5: Marshall, Hadlee, McGrath, Ambrose, Steyn

Considering Barnes as ineligible as pace bowler else Steyn slips out of top 5.
 

Malcolm

U19 Vice-Captain
Top 10 for me.

The only problem I have with Steyn's stats is that he has a ****load of tail-ender wickets.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Definite top 10, and probably top 5 or 6. But at this level you’re splitting hairs in ranking them.

All I know is cricket will be poorer for his retirement
 
Last edited:

MrPrez

International Debutant
Top 5 for mine, should have put an option for top 3. I think he might come into my top 3.
Top 3 = ATG XI, since most would pick three pacers and a spinner in a world XI.

Although in hindsight some might pick a bowling AR at 8 so fair enough.
 

Top