People can live two very different lives. There can be two different aspects - one personal, the other professional side to a person. The best of us, who are well-settled in both sides of our lives are those who can isolate one from the other while being consciously aware of them. Often, athletes are in a very emotional setup. A concoction of excitement, disappointment, calmness, fear, nerves are all compressed into a day’s job. Life can become difficult if the profession takes over their person or vice versa.

Dale Steyn may have a sense of fiery, intense persona with the crazy eyes that can kill if only looks could, but he is just a laid-back, soft-spoken dude who is nothing like the fearful fast bowler we know him to be. Case in point, T Suman. Suman who was playing for the Mumbai Indians back in 2012, had to endure one of the deadliest spells of fast bowling seen in T20 cricket ever bowled by Steyn-gun. The ball had swung at pace, and missed the bat on plenty of occasions before Suman managed to strike one; only for Steyn to put to use his incredible reflexes and pluck the return catch out of thin air.

When Suman met Steyn in the team hotel, Suman remembers telling Steyn, “Dale, the chances I get to play for Mumbai Indians are limited. And if you take catches like that, they'll become nil.” The typical answer expected out of any competitive, hard-as-nails fast bowler would not be an apology, but the response from Steyn in an unexpected manner was,  “I'm so sorry man.”

Steyn’s only aim is to knock over a batsman, rattle the timber, but not cripple and incapacitate the batsman. Richard Pybus, who was the coach of the Titans back in 2007 had said at the time, "He is reluctant to bowl flat out, and that can be frustrating for a captain and a coach. He doesn't ever seem to want to just let it rip, and sometimes you want him to do that,” in an almost befuddled tone, as to why a bowler with the ability of Steyn only wants to get the batsman out, and not knock the batsman himself out.

But Steyn being Steyn, he just wants to enjoy his game. While a deadly stare might suggest otherwise, a joyful smile when he gets the batsman out reveals his true intentions. A bowler like Steyn, who has managed to play 15 years at the highest level of cricket, yet managing to keep up with the intensities of the game, is a testament to his ability to reinvent himself while not letting his goal out of sight - to knock over a batsman’s stumps.