Dale Steyn joins English county Hampshire for 2018 season

At his peak, Steyn was a name that terrified batsmen from all across the globe with his pace and knack for picking up wickets early in a match. His performances with the ball for the Proteas had earned him plaudits from critics and former legends of the game over the years. But a career that has seen some outstanding achievements ever since his debut in 2004, has also been plagued with injuries far too often.

And in a bid to get back to the groove, Steyn, announced that he has penned a deal with the Hampshire for the 2018 domestic season and will join them in June, where he will train at the Ageas Bowl ahead of South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka in July. He is expected to play for Hampshire only during the later part of the domestic season.

The 34-year-old speedster, who has 419 Test wickets at an impressive average of 22.32, sustained a serious tissue damage to his left heel during the Cape Town Test against India. He missed the rest of the three-match Test series against India and the subsequent four-match assignment against Australia as well.

Upon his announcement, Giles White, Hampshire's Director of Cricket, had only words of praise reserved for the South African speedster. He was quick to assert that Steyn was one of the pacers in the world.

"Dale is one of the best bowlers in the world and is extremely motivated to get going after a frustrating period on the side-lines. It seems a great fit for both parties - we hope that we can help him get back to his best and we look forward to welcoming him to Hampshire," Giles said, reported Cricbuzz.