Australian star Mitchell Starc has reached a new height, surpassing Pakistan’s legendary cricketer Wasim Akram. In the recently concluded Brisbane Test against England, Starc took 8 wickets across two innings, overtaking Akram in the record books.
Starc has now claimed 420 wickets in 102 Test matches. Until now, Wasim Akram topped the list for left-arm fast bowlers with 414 wickets in 104 Tests. The Australian left-arm pacer has now broken the record of the all-time great Pakistani bowler.
Praising Starc for breaking his record, Wasim Akram said, “Congratulations to Starc for surpassing my wicket tally. He has delivered an incredible performance. Instead of chasing franchise T20 money, he has achieved this milestone in Test cricket.”
Among pace bowlers, Sri Lanka’s former star Chaminda Vaas sits in third place with 355 wickets in 111 Tests. New Zealand’s Trent Boult has taken 317 wickets in 78 Tests. Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has 313 wickets in 73 Tests.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan holds the overall record with 800 wickets in 133 Tests. The late Australian legend Shane Warne is second with 708 wickets in 145 Tests. Among fast bowlers, former English star James Anderson holds the record with 704 wickets in 188 Tests.
At the end of the day, when Michael Vaughan asked Starc about the record, he humbly replied, “Wasim is still the peak of left-arm bowling. With the ball in hand, he is one of the greatest of all time. To me, he is still the best.”
Before this, Wasim Akram had already congratulated Starc on social media. He wrote, “Super Starc! Proud of you. Your hard work has brought you here. I always knew it was just a matter of time. I’m happy you broke my record. Keep flying higher.”
