South African speedster Dale Steyn created history on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan as he became the highest wicket-taker for South Afric♏a in Test cricket.
Steyn had been stuck at 421 wickets since July but with the dismissal of Fakhar Zಞaman at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, he finally reached 422 wickets in just 89 matches.
Shaun Pollock’s record of 421 wickets came in 108 Test matches while Steyn took 19 less games to overtake the record.
The 35-year-old quick has struggled with injuries for the past two years and was making just his fourth aꦜppearance in the longest format since reaching 417 w༒ickets in November 2016.
Proteas greats AB de Villiers and Gra🐲eme Smith led the tributes to Steyn on social media following h🗹is achievement.
Dale Steyn, we salute you! What a man, what a player. Fitting that “Simply the best” is playing at Supersport Park, where everything sꦿtarted! Congrats legend
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17)
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49)
Well deserved for a true champion. Lengend of a cricketer and a leꦦgend of a bloke.
— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2)
LEGEND!!!👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
— Mark Boucher (@markb46)
Well done 👑
— Shaun Pollock (@7polly7)
The man who flattened my Off Stump with his 1st Test wicket is now the leading wicket taker in SA Test History … Well done … Great bowler & top man …
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)
Dale Steyn….one of the finest fast bowlers of all time. Undoubtedly the best in his generation. Across the globe.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
To take over to become South Africa’s highest wicket taker in 19 tests les🧸ser is some feat. Congratulations to ! ﷽🙌🏻
— Vinod Kambli (@vinodkambli349)
LEGEND!!
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90)
Well done Well deserved. The work you put in behind closed doors pays off. Thi🃏s is aܫ perfect example.Hopefully many more wickets still lie ahead 🥂
— Jacques Kallis (@jacqueskallis75)
//♋twitter.com/AllanDonald33/status/1077849340822065153
Congrats to the coolest surfing, fishing , skateboarding fast bowler on the planet on b🌺ecoming the leading wicket taker in Test cricket for South Africa 🇿🇦🙌🏼🥂 Dale Steyn you beauty…
— Robin John Peterson (@robbie13flair)
It’s about the this m♓orning. You’ve got this big man.
— David Miller (@DavidMillerSA12)
Got a good feeling I’m popping these in the first houཧr.. so excited for !! #422
— Morne Morkel (@mornemorkel65)
Well done huge achievement, very well deserved!
— Ryan Harris (@r_harris413)
