Waqar Younis marches on
On February 10, 2002 during the second Test match (no. 1588) betweenPakistan and West Indies played in Sharjah, Waqar Younis became the 13th bowlerto claim 350 wickets when he captured the wicket of Ryan Hinds. By achievingthis landmark in just 78 matches he became the fastest Pakistani to reach 350wickets in Test cricket. In this regard, Imran Khan, who achieved this featin 79 matches in 1989-90, held the previous record.
Waqar took just 14928 balls to take his 350th wicket. This places him at thetop of the list, above the late West Indian fast bowler Malcolm Marshall whoneeded 16340 balls to reach his 350 wickets in his 75th Test in 1990-91. Waqarbettered him by 1412 balls.
Waqar Younis who made his Test debut against India at Karachi took 12 yearsand 87 days to achieve this milestone at the age of 30 years and 86 days.
The following chart is a graphical representation of his career on a wicketsper match basis followed by detailed tabulations:
| Waqar Younis Career Statistics 21-02-2002 |
Country-wise break-up of Waqar Younis’s bowling
| Opponents | Mt | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Best | B/w | R/o | 5w | 10w |
| Australia | 9 | 264.2 | 54 | 825 | 24 | 34.38 | 4/69 | 66.08 | 3.12 | – | – |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 54.2 | 8 | 181 | 18 | 10.06 | 6/55 | 18.11 | 3.34 | 1 | – |
| England | 11 | 404.1 | 70 | 1352 | 50 | 27.04 | 5/52 | 48.50 | 3.35 | 3 | – |
| India | 4 | 107 | 19 | 390 | 8 | 48.75 | 4/80 | 80.25 | 3.64 | – | – |
| NewZealand | 12 | 482.3 | 123 | 1313 | 68 | 19.31 | 7/76 | 42.57 | 2.72 | 5 | 2 |
| SouthAfrica | 5 | 23.90 | 149.2 | 30 | 478 | 20 | 6/78 | 44.80 | 3.20 | 1 | 1 |
| SriLanka | 12 | 330.3 | 51 | 1150 | 55 | 20.91 | 6/34 | 36.05 | 3.48 | 4 | 1 |
| WestIndies | 13 | 363.2 | 48 | 1283 | 55 | 23.33 | 5/46 | 39.64 | 3.53 | 3 | – |
| Zimbabwe | 9 | 332.3 | 66 | 1004 | 54 | 18.59 | 7/91 | 36.94 | 3.02 | 5 | 1 |
| Home | 31 | 997.4 | 3106 | 159 | 19.53 | 7/76 | 37.6 | 3.11 | 11 | 3 | |
| Away | 45 | 1437 | 4674 | 185 | 25.26 | 6/34 | 46.6 | 3.25 | 11 | 2 | |
| Neutral | 2 | 53.3 | 9 | 196 | 8 | 24.50 | 4/44 | 40.1 | 3.66 | ||
| Overall(9) | 78 | 2488.0 | 469 | 7976 | 352 | 22.66 | 7/76 | 42.41 | 3.21 | 22 | 5 |
Bowlers with 350 or more Test wickets (13)
| Bowlers | Career | Tests | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | Avg | Best | B/w | R/o | 5w | 10w |
| CAWalsh | 1984-01 | 132 | 5004.2 | 1143 | 12684 | 519 | 24.44 | 7/37 | 57.8 | 2.53 | 22 | 3 |
| KapilDev | 1978-94 | 131 | 4623.2 | 1057 | 12867 | 434 | 29.65 | 9/83 | 63.9 | 2.78 | 23 | 2 |
| RJHadlee | 1973-90 | 86 | 3460.4 | 809 | 9611 | 431 | 22.30 | 9/52 | 50.8 | 2.63 | 36 | 9 |
| SKWarne | 1992-** | 98 | 4563.1 | 1323 | 11493 | 430 | 26.73 | 8/71 | 63.6 | 2.51 | 20 | 5 |
| WasimAkram | 1985-** | 104 | 3771.5 | 869 | 9777 | 414 | 23.62 | 7/119 | 54.6 | 2.59 | 25 | 5 |
| CELAmbrose | 1988-00 | 98 | 3683.5 | 1001 | 8502 | 405 | 20.99 | 8/45 | 54.5 | 2.30 | 22 | 3 |
| MMuralitharan | 1992-** | 72 | 4025.2 | 1044 | 9510 | 404 | 23.54 | 9/51 | 59.7 | 2.36 | 33 | 10 |
| ITBotham | 1977-92 | 102 | 3549.3 | 788 | 10878 | 383 | 28.40 | 8/34 | 56.9 | 2.99 | 27 | 4 |
| GDMcGrath | 1993-** | 81 | 3247.4 | 956 | 8297 | 377 | 22.01 | 8/38 | 51.6 | 2.55 | 22 | 3 |
| MDMarshall | 1978-91 | 81 | 2930.4 | 611 | 7876 | 376 | 20.95 | 7/22 | 46.7 | 2.68 | 22 | 4 |
| ImranKhan | 1971-92 | 88 | 3106 | 727 | 8258 | 362 | 22.81 | 8/58 | 53.7 | 2.54 | 23 | 6 |
| DKLillee | 1971-84 | 70 | 2834.1 | 652 | 8493 | 355 | 23.92 | 7/83 | 52.0 | 2.75 | 23 | 7 |
|
WaqarYounis |
1989-** | 78 | 2488 | 469 | 7976 | 352 | 22.66 | 7/76 | 42.4 | 3.20 | 22 | 5 |
**- players currently active in Test Cricket
Bowlersreaching 350 Test wickets in least matches
| Bowlers | Mt | Balls | Runs | Avg | B/w | Vs | Test | Season |
| M Muralitharan(SL) | 66 | 21633 | 8678 | 24.79 | 61.81 | BD | 1st | 2001-02 |
| RJ Hadlee(NZ) | 69 | 17858 | 7874 | 22.43 | 50.88 | WI | 3rd | 1986-87 |
| DK Lillee(Aus) | 70 | 18288 | 8405 | 23.95 | 52.10 | Pak | 5th | 1983-84 |
| GD McGrath(Aus) | 74 | 17581 | 7449 | 21.28 | 50.23 | Eng | 4th | 2001 |
| MD Marshall(WI) | 75 | 16340 | 7326 | 20.81 | 46.42 | Aus | 4th | 1990-91 |
| Waqar Younis(Pak) | 78 | 14928 | 7976 | 22.66 | 42.41 | WI | 2nd | 2001-02 |
| Imran Khan(Pak) | 79 | 18738 | 7953 | 22.66 | 53.38 | Ind | 4th | 1989-90 |
| SK Warne(Aus) | 80 | 22419 | 8946 | 25.56 | 64.05 | Ind | 2nd | 1999-00 |
| Wasim Akram(Pak) | 82 | 18534 | 7981 | 22.74 | 52.80 | Zim | 1st | 1998-99 |
| IT Botham(Eng) | 83 | 18852 | 9332 | 26.51 | 53.56 | WI | 4th | 1985-86 |
| CEL Ambrose(WI) | 84 | 18737 | 7442 | 21.26 | 53.53 | SA | 4th | 1998-99 |
| CA Walsh(WI) | 96 | 20440 | 9093 | 25.76 | 57.90 | Pak | 3rd | 1997-98 |
| Kapil Dev(Ind) | 100 | 20784 | 10140 | 28.89 | 59.21 | Pak | 1st | 1989-90 |
Bowlers reaching350 Test wickets with least balls and best strike rate
| Bowlers | Mt | Balls | Runs | Avg | B/w | Vs | Test | Season |
| Waqar Younis(Pak) | 78 | 14928 | 7976 | 22.66 | 42.41 | WI | 2nd | 2001-02 |
| MD Marshall(WI) | 75 | 16340 | 7326 | 20.81 | 46.42 | Aus | 4th | 1990-91 |
| GD McGrath(Aus) | 74 | 17581 | 7449 | 21.28 | 50.23 | Eng | 4th | 2001 |
| RJ Hadlee(NZ) | 69 | 17858 | 7874 | 22.43 | 50.88 | WI | 3rd | 1986-87 |
| DK Lillee(Aus) | 70 | 18288 | 8405 | 23.95 | 52.10 | Pak | 5th | 1983-84 |
| Wasim Akram(Pak) | 82 | 18534 | 7981 | 22.74 | 52.80 | Zim | 1st | 1998-99 |
| Imran Khan(Pak) | 79 | 18738 | 7953 | 22.66 | 53.38 | Ind | 4th | 1989-90 |
| CEL Ambrose(WI) | 84 | 18737 | 7442 | 21.26 | 53.53 | SA | 4th | 1998-99 |
| IT Botham(Eng) | 83 | 18852 | 9332 | 26.51 | 53.56 | WI | 4th | 1985-86 |
| CA Walsh(WI) | 96 | 20440 | 9093 | 25.76 | 57.90 | Pak | 3rd | 1997-98 |
| Kapil Dev(Ind) | 100 | 20784 | 10140 | 28.89 | 59.21 | Pak | 1st | 1989-90 |
| M Muralitharan(SL) | 66 | 21633 | 8678 | 24.79 | 61.81 | BD | 1st | 2001-02 |
| SK Warne(Aus) | 80 | 22419 | 8946 | 25.56 | 64.05 | Ind | 2nd | 1999-00 |
– balls calculatedto the end of that particular match in which the bowler took his 350th wicket
– All data updated to 21-02-2002