|| Desk Report ||  

South African pace bowler Dale Steyn became the most successful Test bowler during the ongoing Test series against Pakistan that took his achievement to a new height.

Steyn's, who dismissed Fakhar Zaman in his 89th Test, took his wicket tally to 422 and moved him past Shaun Pollock, who took 108 Tests to take 421.

Steyn reached 400 wickets against Bangladesh in 2015, but has since played only a handful of matches, leading to the extended wait to become South Africa's leading wicket taker.

The crowd rose as one to give him a prolonged standing ovation, while his teammates hoisted him on his shoulders. Pollock, the man he overtook to become South Africa's most prolific wicket-taker, called him "an absolutely brilliant performer, an absolute champion and a true leader of the attack".

 

"The fact that he is the best Test fast bowler that SA has produced, doesn't require my endorsement as his stats and record tell you that," Pollock said. "He's fully deserving of holding the record for most Test wickets and I hope that he goes on to take many more and continues winning games for the Proteas.

"I have enjoyed so many attributes of Dale's bowling through his international career. The ability to swing the ball at high speed upfront, reverse swing the ball with devastating effect, bowl with great control and within himself as well as being able to crank it up with high-speed hostile bowling on very flat surfaces at times have all been his hallmarks."