South Africa pace spearhead Dale Steyn who recently announced his retirement from Test has said that he is happy that he won’t have to play against Steve Smith anymore. He also backed David Warner, saying that world-class players don’t become a failure overnight.

“When I bowled to batters like Michael Vaughan or Jacques Kallis who (were) classical, technically perfect, sound batters, I always found that I could get them out,” Dale Steyn was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “It was only the weird guys that came around, like Shiv Chanderpaul and Steve Smith, they really confuse you about the line you should be bowling. Whether that should be on the stumps (or) outside the stumps.”

“Steve has come … and with his technique that he’s naturally developed, he’s just confusing bowlers left, right and centre. They literally don’t know where to bowl to this guy. And while they’re trying to work that out, he’s clubbing them all over the place and scoring runs at the same time,” he said.

“He’s just in a league of his own right now and I’m very happy that I don’t have to play Test matches against him ever again. He’s wonderful, he’s got a great eye and a very difficult and weird technique to work out, which is working for him beautifully,” he added.

Read here: Mithali Raj Becomes the First Woman to Complete 20 Years in International Cricket

Talking about David Warner, Steyn said that Warner remains one of the best batsmen and able to put the pressure back on the bowlers.

“He puts you under pressure from bowl one on day one of a Test match. You have to take what he can give you with what can happen. In this case, he’s been found wanting around the wicket against someone like Broady attacking that off stump. Sometimes that can happen,” he told.

“But he’ll get to Australia, he’ll find some form, he’ll be playing around his mates and around his home crowd and that can quickly change for him. World class players don’t become rubbish overnight, especially over one tour. He’ll be fine, I wouldn’t drop him at all. I’d leave it as it is,” Dale Steyn concluded.