South African speedster Dale Steyn created history on the first day of the Boxing Da♛🌌y Test against Pakistan as he became the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket.
Steyn had been stucꦆk at 421 wickets since July but with the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, he finally reached 422 wickets in just 89 matcheꩲs.
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 appea♈rance in the longest format since reaching 417💎 wickets in November 2016.
Pro♉teas greats AB de Villiers and Graem♕e Smith led the tributes to Steyn on social media following his achievement.
Dale Steyn, we salute you! What a man, what a player. Fitting that “Simply the best” ꦅis playing at Supersport Park, where everything started! Congrats legend
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17)
— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49)
Well deserved f🦩or a true champion. Lengend of a cricketer and a legend 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 becom🧸e South Africa’s highest wicket taker 🍌in 19 tests lesser is some feat. Congratulations to ! 🙌🏻
— Vinod Kambli (@vinodkambli349)
LEGEND!!
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90)
Well done Well deserved. The work you put in ꦅbehind closed doors pays off. This is a perfect example.Hopefully many more wickets still lie ahead 🥂
— Jacques Kallis (@jacqueskallis75)
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Congrats to the coolest surfing, fishing , skateboarding fast bowlཧer on the planet on becoming the leading wicket taker in Test cricket for South Africa 🇿🇦🙌🏼🥂 Dale Steyn you beauty…
— Robin John Peterson (@robbie13flair)
It’s about the th🐬is morning. You’ve got th💫is big man.
— David Miller (@DavidMillerSA12)
Got a good feeling I’m popping these in the first hour.. so excited♏ for✤ !! #422
— Morne Morkel (@mornemorkel65)
Well done huge achievement, very well deserved!
— Ryan Harris (@r_harris413)