Here's why Dale Steyn skipped IPL and opted for PSL

South Africa and Quetta Gladiators pacer Dale Steyn has explained his decision to prefer playing the Pakistan Super League over the Indian Premier League this season, branding the latter as a bit too concerned about the money matters, which he says, pushes actual cricket to the background.

“I wanted some time off," Steyn told Cricket Pakistan. "I found that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player.

"I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten."

The 37-year-old shed more light on what makes him prefer the likes of PSL over glitzy and money-spinning IPL.

“When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lankan Premier League, for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it.

"Whereas, when I go to something like the IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL? That’s just me being brutally honest.

"I wanted to stay away from that and really put more emphasis on playing and bringing good vibes to good cricket teams and tournaments I feel are worth it."