Stuart Broad is a wicket away from joining an elite club of fast bowlers who have taken 500 wickets in Test cricket. Only 3 bowlers have done it before him and one of them is his partner and England great James Anderson.
Anderson holds the record for the most wickets by a fast bowler in Test matches. The 37-year-old right-arm pacer has picked up 589 wickets in 153 matches at an average of 26.83. Notably, Anderson’s average is the highest among the three 500-club pacers.
Glenn McGrath is second on the list with 563 wickets from 124 matches at a staggering average of 21.64 whereas Courtney Walsh, who became the first bowler to pick up 500 Test wickets, finished his career 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 in 132 Test matches.
Since being left out of the first Test, Stuart Broad has 14 wickets at 10.50 in the series #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/pbEhDhMOye
— ICC (@ICC) July 27, 2020
What stands out in what we saw in all the said bowlers is their longevity. Broad, who is all set to breach the 500 marks in the ongoing 3rd Test against West Indies in Manchester is in his 14th year in Test cricket. Anderson is in his 18th while McGrath and Walsh played 15 and 17 years of Test cricket, respectively.
Broad and Anderson, who seem to be rejuvenated after the enforced break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, look set for more. While Anderson is in the twilight of his career, Broad, as Michael Atherton points out, is often bracketed along with his senior counterpart but he is just 34 and seems hungry for more. Maybe 600? He certainly has it in him to get to the landmark, feels Atherton.
However, who is next on the list to get to 500 Test wickets?
There are a couple of spinners who are looking set to breach the 500 mark in the near future. Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who is 32, already has 390 Test wickets in 96 matches. While his average is on the higher side, in the last 5 years (barring 2020), Lyon has al least taken 40 wickets per year with a career-topping tally of 63 in 2017.
On the other India off-spinner R Ashwin has 365 wickets in just 71 matches. While fitness issues have cropped up for Ashwin in the recent past, he is still among the finest spinners, who is capable of demolishing opposition teams in home conditions. If Ashwin can retain his spot in the Indian side for a couple more years, he has a chance of breaching the 500 mark.
However, when it comes to pacers, not many are at the moment in line to go past the 500-wicket mark.
Dale Steyn did have an opportunity to try and go past the 500 mark but he announced his retirement from Tests last year, finishing with 439 wickets.
Ishant Sharma (31) – 297
India fast bowler Ishant Sharma is next only to Stuart Broad in the list of active fast bowlers. Between Broad and Ishant, there is a gap of 202 wickets as India pacer has managed 297 in 97 matches over a career spanning 14 years.
While Ishant is just 31, it remains to be seen if he can carry on for long enough to be able to breach the 500 mark. Ishant no longer is a regular member of the Indian side in limited-overs but he needs to maintain his fitness if he is to get close to the elite club.
Between 2015 and 2017, Ishant suffered a slump, managing just 39 wickets in the said period. However, he roared back to form in 2018, picking up 41 wickets in just 11 Tests. In 2019, Ishant picked up 25 in just 6 Tests at a staggering average of 15.56.
Tim Southee (31) – 284; Trent Boult (31) – 267
Next in the list of active fast bowlers are the New Zealand pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult. While Southee has 284 while his partner has 267.
Southee, barring 2017, has consistently picked up 25 wickets or more in a calendar year since 2012. However, it will take a mammoth effort from the Kiwi pacer to get to the 500 mark. On the other hand, Boult, who consistently plays all 3 formats for New Zealand, may need to give up white-ball ambitions if he is targeting 500.
Mitchell Starc (30) – 244
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc is next on the list with 244 wickets in a 10-year Test career. Starc is just 30 and picked up at least 25 wickets per year between 2015 and 2019. However, he might also have to give up white-ball commitments in a few years if he is to play as long as it takes to get into the 500 club.
Neil Wagner (34) – 206, Kemar Roach (30) – 201
Only 2 other active pacers have more than 200 Test wickets. Neil Wagner – 206, Kemar Roach 201. While Wagner is already 34, 30-year-old Roach, who became the first West Indies bowler in 26 years earlier this month to reach the 200-mark, has been battling injuries on a regular basis in the recent past.
Stuart Broad 499
Steyn retires Tests 439
Ishant – 297
Southee – 284
Boult – 267
Starc – 244
Wagner – 206
Kemar Roach – 201
