Happy Birthday Wasim Akram: A look at the 5 top records held by the Sultan of Swing

Wasim Akram is rated as one of the best seam bowlers of the sport, known for his deadly ability to swing the ball in any given condition. He continues to be a legendary bowler of Pakistan cricket, while on his 55th birthday, we present his top five bowling records.

When it comes to one of the greatest seamers in world cricket, quite a few names come to one's mind. While Australia's Glenn MacGrath might be rated as the best swing bowler ever, Pakistan's Wasim Akram, too, has to be on the list.

Akram is undoubtedly the greatest seam bowler ever produced by Pakistan, while his numbers, achievements and accolades speak for himself. As he celebrates his 55th birthday, we take a look at the five top records the Sultan of Swing holds in international cricket.

Highest Test wicket-taker for Pakistan
First and foremost, Akram happens to be the most successful wicket-taker for Pakistan in the longest format, claiming 414 in 104 games at an average of 23.62. Being a bowling all-rounder, he was also handy with the bat, scoring 2,898 runs at 22.64.

First to 400-plus wickets in Tests and ODIs
In a remarkable record, Akram was the first in world cricket to claim 400-plus wickets in both Test and One-Day Internationals. Notably, he happens to be only among the two bowlers to have done so, with Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan being the other one.

Four international hat-tricks
Akram holds a unique record of being the only bowler to have claimed four hat-tricks in international cricket, with a couple each in both formats. He was the third bowler to claim two Test hat-tricks, besides being the first of the five to claim the same in ODIs.

Top score while batting at No 8
Being a bowling all-rounder helped Akram and Pakistan on numerous occasions. On the same note, Akram also holds the record of playing the best Test innings by a batsman at number eight. He scored an unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe while batting at the position, during which he smashed 12 sixes, which happens to be a record again. He also faced the most deliveries by a No 8 batsman in the format in this very game (363).

Most wickets as seamer
Now, this is one record where he surpasses the legendary McGrath. He holds the record of claiming the most wickets in the ODIs as a seamer (502), while he was also the first in ODI cricket to register 500 wickets.

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