Steyn rubs salt on Mallaya, apologizes later

As if the embarrassing 7/8 was not enough for the Bangalore Royal challengers, Dale Steyn the South African fast bowler and a front line bowler for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL, remarked that "the IPL was only four overs a game and it was like a paid holiday; you only had to work hard if you felt like it, which is probably why we finished second-last."

This perhaps tells the story about the loyalty of the players to their respective franchise as such and why the players are playing in the IPL. It proves further money to be a big factor and perhaps it would be a while before IPL can see the team loyalty among the players. At the time when we have been talking about whether IPL would be able to induce the loyalty for the local teams among the viewers and whether the viewers would be able to switch loyalties within months to support their national heroes once again who might have played opposite their local team in the IPL, this revelation by Dale Steyn has been an eye opener.

Later on, however, Steyn apologized for his comments saying "I was trying to be funny and just ended up being stupid - I was an idiot." and he reiterated his commitment to the Bangalore team by saying "I have written to the franchise to express my unreserved regret and apologies and tried to explain the circumstances of my comments. Sometimes, when you lose, you try to make a joke of it to lessen the disappointment. It was a stupid thing to say and a painful lesson for me to learn. I desperately regret my naivety and look forward to the opportunity of helping the franchise reach the semi-finals next year".

If you are ready to believe what Dale Steyn said later, I believe you are a big fool. The change of statement might have come after he realized how severely he might have damaged his future holiday plans in India, or it might have also come from the pressure created by already dejected and wounded lion in the form of beerwalah. Well, you never know..