Dubai: South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is on the verge of making the record of being the highest Test wicket-taker for his country but the 35-year-old says that he has set bigger goals for himself.
Steyn, who is all set to play in the Boxing Day Test match against Australia, has 421 Test wickets in his kitty and is just one wicket short from replacing former bowling all-rounder Shaun Pollock to be the most successful Test bowler for his country.
“I have a lot more wickets in me than just one more. I haven’t saved myself just to take one more wicket than Polly (Pollock). There is a bigger goal at the end of the day,” ICC quoted Steyn, as saying.
“I do think it will be a beautiful thing to happen if it happens. It has taken a long time and these records are great things to achieve. I will be highly honoured, but I will get back to my mark and try to take the next one,” he added.
The right-arm bowler had equalled Pollock’s record in his 88th Test, which he played against Sri Lanka in July 2018, but he remained out of action for the most part of the rest of 2018 due to a series of injuries. Having made more appearances in the shorter formats of the game, the pacer is now eager to play the red ball cricket.
“It’s just nice to have a red ball in my hand again. Sri Lanka was tough conditions for the fast bowlers, but by the looks of things, the way the nets have been playing out in the middle [at Centurion], there is some spice. I am looking forward to getting out there and playing five competitive days of cricket,” Steyn said.
With fast bowlers Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi out of action, Steyn said that entire onus of leading the South African pace attack against Pakistan would be on him and Kagiso Rabada.
“The onus will be on your bigger players like KG [Kagiso Rabada] and myself to lead the attack.
Duanne [Olivier] has been bowling beautifully, he was the highest wicket-taker in the Mzansi Super League. In the four-day game he played the other days he got a few wickets and even got Faf [du Plessis] out. If he slips under the radar and he comes up trumps with wickets and wins us the game I will not be complaining,” he said.
South Africa and Pakistan are slated to play a three-match Test series from December 26 to January 15.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]