Starc surpasses Wasim Akram to become most successful left-arm seamer in Test cricket
Mitchell Starc became the most prolific left-arm seamer in Test cricket on Thursday, surpassing Pakistan great Wasim Akram.
Starc dismissed Harry Brook at the Gabba in Brisbane on day one of the pink-ball Ashes Test for his third wicket of the match and the 415th wicket in Test cricket. It moved him past Akram in two fewer matches.
Most wickets taken by left-arm pacers in Test cricket:
| Player | Wickets | Matches | Bowling Average |
| Mitchell Starc | 415 | 102 | 26.53 |
| Wasim Akram | 414 | 104 | 23.62 |
| Chaminda Vaas | 355 | 111 | 29.58 |
| Trent Boult | 317 | 78 | 27.49 |
| Mitchell Johnson | 313 | 73 | 28.40 |
Starc is now 16th on the all-time wicket-taker list and could move above both India’s Harbhajan Singh (417) and South Africa’s Shaun Pollock (421) in the current pink-ball Test.
After that he will have New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee (431) in his sights.
Published on Dec 04, 2025
