Scary eyes, throbbing veins and a chainsaw celebration have all made Dale Steyn South Africa's most feared fast bowler. Extreme pace, the ability to swing the ball both ways, and accuracy have perhaps made him the country's best ever. At the peak of his powers, Steyn possessed a lithe and wiry body, a steaming run-up that culminated in a aerodynamic action, and a ripper of an outswinger.

Steyn grew up in Phalaborwa, in the country's northern-most province, and spent his childhood obsessed with skateboarding. It was only when he moved to a bigger city, Pretoria, that he gave cricket a proper go and it did not take long before he was considered a serious prospect. He played just seven first-class matches before he was selected for South Africa and made his debut against England in 2004, in the same match as AB de Villiers.

He did not have an immediate impact and spent the following winter playing for Essex in Division 2 of the county championship, and the 2005-06 season honing his craft in the domestic set-up before he was recalled, a visibly fiercer bowler. Steyn took 16 wickets in his second series, against New Zealand, but it was only when he faced them the next year, in the 2007-08 summer, that he announced himself as one of the fierce fast men.

A visibly fired-up Steyn took ten wickets in the first Test in Johannesburg. Then, shortly after lunch on the first day of the second Test in Centurion, he delivered a short ball to Craig Cumming, who missed. The ball crashed into his face and sent him to intensive care.

The flow of wickets became a gush, and in 2008, he became the fastest South African at the time, and the 15th fastest overall, to reach 100 Test wickets. That September, Steyn was named ICC Test Player of the Year after taking 86 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 18.10.

He was part of the South African side that beat England and Australia for the first time away from home since readmission, and then proved he could do it on the subcontinent. In 2010, Steyn summoned reverse-swing reminiscent of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and took 7 for 51 as South Africa beat India in Nagpur.

He went on to win the Test championship with the team in England in 2012 and took his 300th Test wicket the following year, against New Zealand. He was only the fourth South African to rack up that many scalps.

After he turned 30, Steyn's injury-free run ended. He suffered a groin strain in the Champions Trophy in June 2013, a side strain later that year and a rib fracture in early 2014, a year in which he had three hamstrings strains but also played a part in South Africa's first Test series win in Sri Lanka in over two decades.

He led South Africa's attack at the 2015 World Cup but also became the face of their failed campaign. He delivered the final over in the semi-final against New Zealand and was hit for six by Grant Elliott off the penultimate ball.

Steyn did not seem to be the same afterwards. In November 2015, he suffered a groin strain during the first Test against India in Mohali and missed the rest of the four-match series. He returned in December to play against England but a shoulder injury cut short that summer. In the 2015-16 season, Steyn missed six of South Africa's eight Tests and all their ODIs. He recovered for the World T20 but only played two of the four matches.
Firdose Moonda

• December 17-21, 2004
  A moderate beginning
  • With only seven first-class matches under his belt, he is handed a Test debut after impressing South African coach Ray Jennings with his pace. It's a torrid Test baptism - he finishes with 3 for 146 in a seven-wicket defeat.
    
• April-May, 2006
  A spirited second coming
  • Starts drawing comparisons with Allan Donald after a breakthrough home series against New Zealand. He collects 16 wickets at 26.00 in three Tests forming a potent new-ball combination with Makhaya Ntini.
    
• October 3, 2006
  The accolades start
  • His promising return to Test cricket after the stumbling start in 2004 makes him one of South Africa's Five Cricketers of the Year, the first time he's chosen for the honour.
    
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• October 1-5, 2007
  Swinging in the subcontinent
  • Helps South Africa take a 1-0 lead over Pakistan with a second-innings five-for in Karachi. It's his first major performance away from home.
    
• November 2007
  Among the world's best
  • Breaks into the top ten of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers for the first time after dismantling New Zealand with his first ten-wicket match haul in Johannesburg. A week later, he's in the top five after collecting ten more in Centurion in a three-day demolition job.
    
• December 2007-January 2008
  No stopping Steyn
  • Batsmen continue to be clueless against him, and South Africa fight back to take the home Test series against West Indies 2-1 on the back of his 20 wickets at 19.10, including a 6 for 72 in the first innings of the deciding Test in Durban.
    
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• February-March 2008
  Brushing aside Bangladesh
  • The wickets keep coming for Steyn. In Bangladesh, he picks up 14 in two Tests as South Africa sweep to victory in both.
    
• 3-5 April, 2008
  India buckle to pace
  • A vaunted Indian batting order crumbles to 76 all out to Steyn & Co. in less than two hours on the first day in Ahmedabad. His figures are 8-2-23-5, including the ball of the day to dismiss Rahul Dravid. The performance lifts him to No. 1 in the Test bowling rankings.
    
• June 18, 2008
  Sweeping the South Africa awards
  • He caps off a great season in Test cricket by winning three major honours in the annual South African Awards - SA Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, SA Players' Player of the Year.
    
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• September 10, 2008
  Yet another accolade
  • Wins the Test Player of the Year at the annual ICC Awards, after taking 86 wickets at 18.10 in 14 Tests in the 12-month period under consideration. It is his first major ICC Award.
    
• December 26-30, 2008
  Historic high for South Africa
  • South Africa complete their 'greatest year' in cricket, winning a Test series in Australia. Steyn stars in the win at the MCG: besides bagging five wickets in each innings, he's involved in a game-shaping 180-run tenth-wicket stand with JP Duminy.
    
• January 14-17, 2010
  Demolishing England
  • South Africa need to win the fourth Test against England in Johannesburg to square the series. Steyn delivers, picking 5 for 51 to knock England over for 180 in the first innings.
    
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• February 6-9, 2010
  Masterclass in Nagpur
  • A lethal display of swing bowling sends India tumbling from 192 for 3 to 233 all out in the first innings in Nagpur. His 7 for 51 rips out two batsmen with conventional swing before a spell of 3.4-2-3-5 with the old ball completes the job.
    
• June 10-13, 2010
  Steyn crushes West Indies
  • Another Test, another five-for. His sensational run in Tests continues as he scoops eight wickets to be pivotal to South Africa's 163-run win over West Indies in Trinidad.
    
• June 26-29, 2010
  Spat with Benn
  • Is penalised his entire match fee following a disciplinary run-in with Sulieman Benn in the third Test in Barbados. After being repeatedly provoked by Benn, Steyn appears to spit in Benn's direction after he is dismissed.
    
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