Most Test Wickets for Pakistan
| Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasim Akram | 104 | 181 | 414 | 23.62 | 25/5 |
| Waqar Younis | 87 | 154 | 373 | 23.56 | 22/5 |
| Imran Khan | 88 | 142 | 362 | 22.81 | 23/6 |
| Danish Kaneria | 61 | 112 | 261 | 34.79 | 15/2 |
| Yasir Shah | 48 | 89 | 244 | 31.38 | 16/3 |
| Abdul Qadir | 67 | 111 | 236 | 32.80 | 15/5 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | 49 | 86 | 208 | 29.83 | 13/3 |
| Mushtaq Ahmed | 52 | 89 | 185 | 32.97 | 10/3 |
| Saeed Ajmal | 35 | 67 | 178 | 28.10 | 10/4 |
| Shoaib Akhtar | 46 | 82 | 178 | 25.69 | 12/2 |
Key Insights on Leading Wicket Takers in Pakistan Test Cricket
Record-Setting Milestones and Velocity
Yasir Shah is the fastest to 50 (9 matches), 100 (17 matches), and 150 (27 matches) among Pakistan bowlers and overall the fastest to 200 wickets (33 matches) in Tests.
Waqar Younis, on the other hand, is the quickest to 150 (27 matches), 250 (51 matches), 300 (65 matches), and 350 wickets (78 matches) for Pakistan in Tests.
Fastest to Every 100X Test Wickets
Wasim Akram is the lead wicket-taker for Pakistan in Tests, having taken 414 scalps in 181 innings (104 matches).
Danish Kaneria’s 261 wickets in 112 innings are the most by a spinner for Pakistan in Test cricket.
Elite Performance Metrics and Hauls
Imran Khan has the lowest bowling average for Pakistan in Tests, having averaged 22.81 while picking up 362 wickets in 88 matches (minimum 5000 balls bowled).
Waqar Younis has the lowest strike rate, having taken 373 scalps at a rate of 43.4 in 87 Tests.
Imran Khan has picked up the best Test match haul among Pakistan bowlers, having claimed 14 wickets for 116 runs against Sri Lanka in the 1982 Lahore Test.
Five years later (1987), Abdul Qadir recorded the best bowling figures in a Test innings among Pakistan bowlers, having returned with 9 for 56 against England at the same venue.
Akram’s tally included 25 five-wicket hauls, the most by a Pakistan bowler in Tests. Imran Khan (23) and Waqar Younis (22) are the others with more than 20 five-fors. Find out Wasim Akram’s most significant cricketing records here.
Imran has taken the most ten-wicket hauls for Pakistan in Tests, having grabbed six ten-fors. Younis, Akram, and Abdul Qadir are the others with five ten-wicket hauls each.
Home, Away, and Calendar Year Records
Imran has picked up the most Test wickets in a calendar year for Pakistan, having returned with 62 scalps in nine matches in 1982. Younis (55 in 1993), Saqlain Mushtaq (51 in 2002), and Saeed Ajmal (50 in 2011) are the other Pakistan bowlers with 50 or more wickets in a year.
260 wickets outside Pakistan were picked up by Akram, the most among his countrymen in away-from-home Tests.
168 of Qadir’s 236 wickets came in Pakistan, the most by a Pakistan bowler on home soil in Tests. Imran (163), Younis (162), Akram (154), Iqbal Qasim (111), and Danish Kaneria (109) are the others with 100-plus wickets in Pakistan.
59 of Qadir’s 168 dismissals came at the National Stadium in Karachi, the most by a Pakistan bowler at a single venue in Tests.
94 of Imran’s 362 wickets came against India, the most by a Pakistan bowler against a Test team.
Captaincy and Leadership Stats
Imran led Pakistan in 48 matches and took 187 wickets, the most by a Pakistan skipper in Tests.
Relative Read: Captains with Most Test Wickets
