Notable statistical
landmarks by leading cricketers worldwide for the specific 2020 calendar year
look like being in short supply … the ongoing coronavirus crisis should ensure
that.
Quite when
South Africa’s own household names will swing into action again, either at
international or domestic level, is a firmly unanswered question.
But there is
every likelihood that certain of them will be waiting rather longer than would
have been anticipated a few weeks ago to complete looming personal milestones.
One is star
strike bowler Kagiso Rabada, currently on 197 Test wickets and who would have
confidently expected to complete the task of getting to 200 in the two-Test
series against West Indies, scheduled for July and August in the Caribbean but
now unlikely to take place.
Already the
holder of 43 caps, if he were to do the necessary in that series he would
become the third fastest South African to 200 scalps, behind only Dale Steyn,
who got there in his 39th Test, and Allan Donald (42): Shaun Pollock
is currently third, having got there in his 49th Test.
As the
fastest Proteas player to the mark, Steyn is also sixth best from any nation in
history; Pakistani leg-spin ace Yasir Shah is comfortable leader after reaching
200 in only his 33rd appearance in 2018.
Rabada would
still be in quality company if he hits the mark in his 44th Test –
whenever that now may be – as he would have emulated Alec Bedser (England),
Richard Hadlee (New Zealand), Joel Garner (West Indies) and Ravindra Jadeja of
India.
Two
now-retired former Proteas icons, Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, meanwhile,
are in a holding pattern to complete notable domestic-level landmarks.
Philander
had his intended UK summer contract with Somerset cancelled this week (though
it may be restored in 2021), given the increasing probability that no
significant county cricket is played in 2020, with the veteran all-rounder on
4,941 first-class career runs – only 59 shy of 5,000.
Amla is
earmarked for a two-year Kolpak deal with Surrey, and awaiting completion of
10,000 runs at List-A limited-overs level: he is presently on 9,973.
Here are
some other Proteas players close to landmarks:
*Temba
Bavuma (7,915) needs 85 runs to reach 8,000 first-class runs.
*Quinton de
Kock (2,934) needs 66 runs to complete 3,000 at Test level, and (on 191)
requires nine more catches to reach 200 in the same format.
*Faf du
Plessis, on 3,901, needs 99 runs to reach 4,000 in Tests.
*Dean Elgar
(13,940) is 60 runs shy of 14,000 first-class runs.
*Dwaine
Pretorius (99) is just one wicket short of reaching 100 at List-A level.
*David
Miller (6,900) needs exactly 100 to complete 7,000 in all T20 cricket.
*Aiden
Markram requires 55 runs to achieve 3,000 at the List-A crease, and another 45
to crack the 1,000-mark in T20 international cricket.
*Follow our
chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing …
