LAHORE: Pakistan spinner Noman Ali etched his name into the record books after surpassing a long-standing milestone previously held by the legendary Abdul Qadir.
He achieved this milestone during Pakistan’s commanding 93-run victory over South Africa in the opening Test at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old spinner proved instrumental as Pakistan defended a target of 277, bundling South Africa out for 183.
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He shared eight wickets in the second innings with Shaheen Shah Afridi, who complemented his effort with fiery pace and movement. He also took six wickets in the first innings, claiming his 3rd ten-wicket haul in a Test match.
The left-arm spinner’s latest heroics took his tally to an impressive 46 wickets across his last five Tests, the most by any Pakistani bowler in such a span.
The previous record stood for 37 years, held by Qadir, who had bagged 44 wickets between his 48th and 52nd Tests during the 1987–88 season.
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Noman’s exceptional run of form has also made him the most successful spinner in world cricket over the past 12 months, underlining his evolution into Pakistan’s most reliable weapon in the longer format.
His golden stretch includes 10 wickets against South Africa in Lahore, 16 scalps in the two-match series against the West Indies earlier this year, and a staggering 20 wickets during the home series against England, 11 in Multan and 9 in Rawalpindi.
With this win, Pakistan have taken a 1–0 lead in the two-match series and will now shift focus to the final Test in Rawalpindi, set to be played from October 20 to 24.