Centurion: Shaun Pollock Wednesday described Dale Steyn as ‘the best fast bowler that South Africa has produced’ after Steyn beat his record for the most Test wickets for the country.
Steyn broke the record he shared with Pollock when Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman became his 422nd victim on the first day of the first Test at SuperSport Park Wednesday.
Zaman’s dismissal brought to an end more than three years of frustration during which the fast bowler missed no fewer than 27 Test matches because of injury.
Steyn, 35, was mobbed by his teammates and hoisted on the shoulders of new-ball partner Kagiso Rabada after Zaman (12) edged the ball to Dean Elgar at third slip, reducing Pakistan to 17 for two after winning the toss and batting first.
Pollock said Steyn’s record stamped him as South Africa’s all-time best fast bowler. “I have enjoyed so many attributes of Dale’s bowling, the ability to swing the ball at high speed upfront, reverse-swing the ball with devastating effect and bowl with great control, as well as being able to crank it up with high-speed, hostile bowling on very flat surfaces at times,” said Pollock.
Steyn took his 400th Test wicket in his 80th Test in July 2015 – the second-fastest in the world to reach the milestone – and it seemed Pollock’s record was about to fall. But four serious injuries delayed what had seemed imminently inevitable.
Steyn is now 11th on his own on the all-time world list, needing to match New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee on 431 to claim a place in the top 10. Steyn has had success in all Test-playing countries in taking five wickets in an innings on 26 occasions, with five 10-wicket match hauls.
