Dale Steyn has issued a clarification over his comments on the Indian Premier League (IPL). The South African great, in an interview had said that “cricket kind of gets forgotten” in the money talks in IPL, adding that Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) focus more on cricket compared to the IPL.

“I found that playing in those other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player,” Steyn had said while talking about his IPL experience. “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.”

Steyn’s comments had stirred up a storm in India with Indians incensed at the fact that he praised the PSL over the IPL.

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Following the backlash, the bowler clarified him stance on the matter saying that “IPL has been nothing short of amazing in my career”.

Steyn said that he had not intended to degrade, insult or compare any of the cricket leagues.

“Social media and words out of context can often do that. My apologies if this has upset anyone. Much love,” he tweeted.

The South African pacer has had an impressive record as far as the IPL is concerned. The highest auction price for the fast bowler came in consecutive seasons in 2014 and 2015, when Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped him up for INR 9.5 crore (approx. USD 1.3 million today). He has taken 97 IPL wickets at 6.91, making him one of the most economical bowlers of the cricket league.

Meanwhile reaction from most Indian IPL fans on Twitter was quite aggressive, with some hurling personal insults at Steyn.

On the other hand, Pakistani fast bowler Hassan Ali has some other remarks about the South African player. Taking to Twitter, Hassan shared a picture with Steyn, teaching him some bowling techniques. “Dale, you are my favorite. That’s it, that’s the tweet,” he wrote.