Most Wickets for South Africa Across Formats 

Scoring runs in South Africa is, perhaps, one of the toughest jobs as a batsman in Cricket. Even the best batsmen in the game tend to get exposed on the green-clad tracks of South Africa. The green-top wicket, especially in South Africa is no less than a graveyard for the batsmen.

The bounce and movement in the air helped the fast bowlers dominate on those surfaces. There aren’t a lot of batsmen outside of South Africa, who have had an outstanding record on the green-top surfaces of South Africa. This is one of the biggest reasons why South Africa is known for producing world-class fast bowlers.

Over the last two decades, South Africa have produced some of the finest fast bowlers of all time. They have troubled the batsmen with their pace, bounce, and movement in the air and off the surface. To shed light on them, let’s take a look at 7 South African bowlers who have picked the most wickets for South Africa across formats.

Most Wickets for South Africa Across Formats

1. Shaun Pollock: 823 wickets

Former legendary South African cricketer, Shaun Pollock was regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders South Africa has ever produced. Pollock was known for his nagging accuracy. He would not allow the batsmen to get any room to play their shots. Besides, his ability to get the zip off the surfaces makes him one of the toughest bowlers to face, especially in South Africa.

Shaun Pollock had an outstanding cricket career across formats. He, currently, has the most number of wickets for a South African bowler across formats. He represented South Africa in 108 Tests, picking 421 wickets at an average of 23.11.

Besides, he played 303 one-day internationals and picked 393 wickets at an average of 24.50. Besides, he also played 12 T20 internationals and picked 15 wickets at an average of 20.6. Overall, Shaun Pollock has 823 wickets to his name across formats.

2. Dale Steyn: 697 wickets

One of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen, Dale Steyn finds himself second on the list. The former South African bowler was a sight to behold during his peak time. He would bowl at 150 kmph and take the ball away from the right-hander only to leave him stunned.

Steyn had a great pace and his ability to swing the ball away from the batsmen while pitching it at the leg stump made him a lethal force across formats of the game. Steyn made his Test debut back in 2004 but it took him a few years to dominate world cricket with his fearsome fast bowling display. He made a great fast bowling pair with Morne Morkel and the two would often rip apart the opposition’s batting unit both at home and away.

In his illustrious career, Dale Steyn played 93 Tests, 125 ODIs, and 47 T20 internationals, picking 439, 196, and 64 wickets respectively. Overall, he has 697 wickets across formats- the second-most by a South African bowler in cricketing history.

3. Makhaya Ntini: 661 wickets

For those of you who don’t know, Makhaya Ntini was the first black player to represent South Africa in international cricket after making his ODI debut against New Zealand in 1998. Ntini had unmatched energy and was known for bowling long spells in Test Cricket. He was unstoppable when he got his rhythm and would often rip apart the opposition’s batting unit.

He became the third South Africa bowler after Shaun Pollock and Alan Donald to pick 300 wickets in Test Cricket. Makhaya Ntini played 101 Tests, 173 ODIs, and 10 T20 internationals during his career, picking 390, 266, and 6 wickets respectively. Overall, he has 661 wickets across formats, which is the third most for a South African.

4. Allan Donald: 602 wickets

One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Allan Donald was fondly remembered for his outstanding performance for South Africa in the ICC 1992 World Cup. He picked up 13 wickets at an average of 25.30 and with an economy of 4.21 in the tournament. He was known for his pace and nagging accuracy, which helped him fetch a lot of wickets across formats. For the unversed, Allan Donald was the first South African bowler to pick 300 wickets in Test Cricket.

He finished his international cricket career with 330 wickets and 272 wickets in 72 Tests and 164 ODIs respectively. Overall, he has 602 wickets to his name, which is fourth-most by a South African cricketer.

5. Jacques Kallis: 572 wickets

Arguably, the greatest all-rounder South Africa has ever produced, Jacques Kallis finds himself at fifth in the elite list. The game of Cricket hasn’t seen as highly skilled an all-rounder as Jacques Kallis in international cricket.

He would bat at number three and also performs as the fifth bowling option for the team. The presence of Jacques Kallis added a lot more balance to the team and made South Africa a force to be reckoned with during his playing days.

Jacques Kallis produced a plethora of sensational spells with his fast bowling exploits. He picked 292 wickets in 166 Tests, 273 wickets in 328 Tests, and 12 wickets in 25 Tests. Overall, Jacques Kallis has 572 wickets in Test Cricket.

6. Morne Morkel: 535 wickets

The tall and lanky fast bowler, Morne Morkel is counted amongst the most successful fast bowlers in the history of South African cricket. Morkel troubled the opposition batsmen with his pace and bounce. His height helped extract a lot of bounce off the surface which would make him a lethal force, especially in home conditions.

Morkel formed a lethal fast bowling pair with Dale Steyn and the duo would run through the opposition’s batting unit with their pace, bounce, and seam movement. In his career, he has picked 309 wickets in 86 Tests, 188 wickets in 117 ODIs, and 47 wickets in 44 T20 internationals.

7. Kagiso Rabada: 401 wickets

Kagiso Rabada is the only active cricketer on the list. He is one of the most important parts of South Africa’s fast bowling unit. Kagiso Rabada recently completed 400 wickets across formats for South Africa in the ongoing second Test between South Africa and India. He bowled a vital spell on the third day of the second Test to trigger India’s collapse in their second innings.

Kagiso Rabada picked three wickets with the ball, helping the team bundled out India for 266 runs. Kagiso Rabada, so far, has managed to pick 220 wickets in 48 Tests, 126 wickets in 82 ODIs and 49 wickets in 40 T20 internationals in his international cricket. Overall, he has 401 international wickets across formats.