South African pace great Dale Steyn announces retirement from all forms of cricket
Johannesburg(PTI): South African fast bowling great Dale Steyn on Tuesday announced retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career during which he locked horns with some of the finest batsmen of his time.
The 38-year-old made the announcement on Twitter, ending a 17-year career, which saw him play in 93 Tests, 125 ODIs and 47 T20Is for the Proteas.
"Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bitter sweet but grateful. Thank you to everyone, from family to teammates, journalists to fans, its been an incredible journey together," he wrote.
"'And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself to hold on to these moments as they pass'," Steyn wrote in his retirement letter, quoting a song from American rock band Counting Crows to convey his emotions.
"It's been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feat, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood. There are too many memories to tell. To many faces to thank. So I left it to the experts to sum up, my favourite band, the Counting Crows," he added.
Steyn had retired from Test cricket in 2019.
Announcement. pic.twitter.com/ZvOoeFkp8w
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) August 31, 2021
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
