Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn has explained why he opted against competing in this year’s IPL, saying some of the other leagues are ‘more rewarding’ to a player.

Steyn is currently in action in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) where he made his debut for the Quetta Gladiators last week.

Steyn had previously announced that he will not be available for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2021 IPL and has since told Cricket Pakistan why.

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‘I wanted to take a bit more time off. I found that playing in those other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player,’ he said.

‘I think when you go to the IPL there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on the amount of money that the players earn that somewhere along the line the cricket kind of gets forgotten. When you come to the PSL, or the LPL, there’s an importance on the cricket.’

The financial importance of the IPL as well as the longevity of the double-round tournament could also become exhausting to the players, Steyn added.

Plus, he has already enjoyed the change of scenery in Pakistan where the passion for cricket is also strong on the domestic front.

‘I’ve only been here a couple of days and I’ve had people coming to my room asking where I played and how I went about it. In the IPL, that kind of gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money you went for for this IPL. And that’s just me being brutally honest. I just wanted to stay away from that this year and put more emphasis on bringing good vibes to teams and tournaments I feel are worth it,’ he concluded.