Two Cricket icons celebrate borthday; Dale Steyn & Kevin Pietersen
Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,
Well, do I want to introduce these two giants in Cricket? Dale Steyn & Kevin Pietersen; two players who redefined the game and set an everlasting impression. One is a baller with thunderbolts who played for South Africa, and the other is an aggressive batter from England.
As fans of Cricket, it's hard to love these two, no matter the country we are from. So, this is not just a Birthday celebration post of theirs but a heartfelt tribute to all the memories to make the game beautiful.
Happy Birthday, KP & Steyn Gun! 🖤😍
Dale Steyn
Well, for me, he is the best baller of our generation. He has a soothing and perfect action, speed, control, and skill. No matter the format and the situation, he delivered at his best, being a headache even for the best batters in the world. He has the deadliest combo of deliveries, being a master in inswinging and outswinging at high pace, the yorker, the bouncer, and everything. That's why he was respected by many, and dominant in the field.
He was born on 27 June 1983 in Phalaborwa, Transvaal Province, South Africa, and celebrates his 41st birthday today. He started his international career on 17 December 2004 against England in a Test match, and after 16 years of career bid farewell in 2020.
Career statistics
| Format | Matches | Runs Scored | Balls Bowled | Wickets | Bowling Avg | 5WI | 10WM | Best Bowling | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 93 | 1,251 | 18,608 | 439 | 22.95 | 26 | 5 | 7/51 | 26 |
| ODI | 125 | 365 | 6,256 | 196 | 25.95 | 3 | 0 | 6/39 | 28 |
| T20I | 47 | 21 | 1,015 | 64 | 18.35 | 0 | 0 | 4/9 | 12 |
Just look at his stats, especially in the longer format. He is the leading wicket-taker for SA in it, and the main contributor to making that side unbeatable in his prime. He was the No.1 Test bowler in the ICC Rankings for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014. Just amazing. And also he was honoured as,
- ICC Test Player of the Year: 2008
- ICC Test Team of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
- ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2011, 2014
- ICC Test Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
- Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 2013, 2014
Kevin Pietersen
He is one of England’s most explosive batsmen, with class, strokeplay, and mindset. At his time, the England team was not the greatest, but Kevin could take it to a different dimension. He was an innovative player with a different stance, and he invented the "switch-hit." The level of enthusiasm and talent he brought to the game has been widely praised by the fans.
He was born on 27 June 1980 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and celebrated his 44th birthday today.
He made his international debut in the ODI match against Zimbabwe on 28 November 2004, and represented the national team for 10 years.
Career statistics
| Format | Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | 100s/50s | Top Score | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 104 | 8,181 | 47.28 | 23/35 | 227 | 62 |
| ODI | 136 | 4,440 | 40.73 | 9/25 | 130 | 40 |
| T20I | 37 | 1,176 | 37.93 | 0/7 | 79 | 14 |
So, he has a great average and scores, and more than that, his impact was unreal. He was a major player in the IPL as well.
So, once again, Happy Birthday, champs!
Sources
Thank you.
Best Regards!
Upvoted! Thank you for supporting witness @jswit.
KP... 44... great age 😉
He's gone in to commentary so we still get to here his "non-English" accent whenever there's cricket on.
I feel another one of the same age.,.. 😅😅 This guy retired too early.. Loved his mentality and playing style....
😅😅 Love it... He is a South African..
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