Wiaan Mulder Archives

WATCH: Wiaan Mulder survives injury scare while bowling in second Australia ODI

MACKAY: South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder endured a frightening moment during the second ODI against Australia here on Friday but managed to walk away unscathed before making an immediate impact with the ball.

The incident unfolded in the second innings when Mulder came on to bowl the 10th over after South Africa had posted 277 in their first innings.

On his very first delivery, Mulder lost his footing at the popping crease and collapsed awkwardly, sparking concern among teammates and spectators.

It appeared that his back foot slipped while landing, leaving him unable to balance his bodyweight through the delivery stride.

Fortunately, Wiaan Mulder managed to fall safely and avoided what could have been a serious knee or back injury.

The 27-year-old was quickly back on his feet and started his spell. Remarkably, he struck on the second ball of his spell, removing Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh (18).

The right-hander attempted a pull shot off a short delivery, only to mistime it into the mid-wicket region, gifting South Africa a crucial breakthrough.

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Earlier in the match, Wiaan Mulder contributed a valuable 26 off 21 balls with the bat, rounding off a strong all-round performance.

Notably, Australia were bundled for 193 in 37.4 overs while chasing a target of 278, losing the second ODI and the three-match series.

Josh Inglis waged a lone battle for Australia with an 87-run knock but could not find much support from the other end.

Lungi Ngidi led the bowling attack for South Africa, returning figures of 5-42. He was supported by Nandre Burger and Senuran Muthusamy, who took two wickets each.

The third ODI of the series will be played at the same venue on 24 August.

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Wiaan Mulder reveals Brian Lara’s surprising advice after near-record declaration

South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has opened up about his conversation with former West Indies captain Brian Lara following a surprise declaration against Zimbabwe in the second Test.

Mulder, who was Proteas’ captain in place of injured Keshav Maharaj, scored a monumental 367* run knock in the second Test against Zimbabwe. However, the 27-year-old decided to declare the innings 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s 400* runs record despite having ample time in the match.

With this feat, he became Proteas’ highest run scorer in Test cricket. Mulder’s knock was peppered with 49 fours, just shy of John Edrich’s world record of 53 boundaries, along with four maximums.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket:

400* – Brian Lara vs England, 2004
380 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003
375 – Brian Lara vs England, 1994
374 – Mahela Jayawardene vs South Africa, 2006
367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

Following his imperious knock, Wiaan Mulder shared his thoughts at the end of the day’s play, where he emphasized that Lara’s record should remain unbroken. “Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he said.

Now, Wiaan Mulder has revealed that he chatted with the legendary batter following his knock.

“I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara. He [Lara] said to me I’m creating my own legacy, and I should have gone for it,” he revealed.

“He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again I go and score more than what he had,” Wiaan Mulder added.

Despite Lara’s approval, Mulder remained adamant about not breaking the world record.

“It’s super special and not something I would have dreamt of,” said the 27-year-old. “That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing, and respecting the game is the most important part for me,” he concluded.

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Chris Gayle slams ‘Panicked’ Mulder for not breaking Brian Lara’s world record

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has launched a scathing attack on South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder for forgoing the chance to break Brian Lara’s world record.

Last week, Proteas stand-in skipper Mulder played a monumental 367* runs knock against Zimbabwe. By doing this, he etched his name in South African history for recording the highest individual score in the longest form of the game.

However, Wiaan Mulder left the cricket fraternity amused when he decided to declare South Africa’s innings just when he was 33 runs shy of Gayle’s teammate Brian Lara, record of 400* runs.

The 27-year-old innings was peppered with 49 fours, just shy of John Edrich’s world record of 53 boundaries, along with four maximums.

At the end of the day’s play, Wiaan Mulder revealed the reason behind not going past the legendary batter’s record.

“We had enough to bowl at. Brian Lara is a legend. He scored 400 or 401 runs against England, and for someone to hold that record, it is special. I spoke to Shuks (Shukri Conrad) and spoke about letting the legends keep that record. Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he said.

Now, Chris Gayle has shed light on Wiaan Mulder’s decision, noting that such opportunities come rarely.

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“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle said. “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it.”

“Come on, you’re on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.

Chris Gayle called Mulder’s decision an error on his part, stating it was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity.

“I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it,” Gayle said. “We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367, and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time,” Gayle explained.

The left-handed explosive batter said Mulder crumbled under pressure and made a big mistake.

“Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Chris Gayle, popularly known as the T20 giant, has two triple centuries to his name in Test cricket. He recorded his best score, 333, against Sri Lanka in Galle back in 2010.

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Wiaan Mulder leapfrogs Babar Azam in Test Batting Rankings after record-breaking 367*

DUBAI: South Africa’s stand-in Test captain Wiaan Mulder has made a giant stride in the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, breaking into the top 25 following his unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe.

Mulder’s historic knock saw him jump 34 places to reach 22nd position with 669 rating points, moving ahead of Pakistan’s former captain Babar Azam, who has slipped to 23rd with 651 points.

Among other Pakistani batters, Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel dropped two spots to 13th, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan fell to 21st with 671 points.

T20I captain Salman Ali Agha also dropped one place to 34th, and Test skipper Shan Masood slipped four positions to 48th.

There’s been a change at the top of the Test batting charts as well, with England’s Harry Brook climbing to the No.1 position, displacing his teammate Joe Root, who now sits second.

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson remains third, while India’s Test captain Shubman Gill surged 16 places to enter the top 10, now ranked sixth, after his match-winning scores of 269 and 161 in the Edgbaston Test.

In the ICC Test Bowling Rankings, Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan and left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi each moved up one position to 19th and 20th, respectively.

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Noman Ali retained his fifth spot with 806 rating points, continuing to be Pakistan’s highest-ranked Test bowler.

Among other Pakistani bowlers, Mohammad Abbas dropped to 27th, Naseem Shah held his place at 35th, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed slipped two spots to 50th.

Khurram Shahzad dropped two places to 64th, with Aamer Jamal steady at 71st, Mir Hamza unchanged at 93rd, and Zahid Mahmood staying at 97th.

Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah remains the top-ranked Test bowler in the world, followed by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Australian skipper Pat Cummins in second and third, respectively.

India’s Akash Deep was the biggest mover among bowlers this week. After claiming a ten-wicket match haul at Edgbaston, the right-arm pacer climbed 39 places to reach a career-best 46th position in the Test bowling charts.

Meanwhile, Wiaan Mulder also made notable gains in the ICC Test All-Rounder Rankings as he claimed the third spot after a 16-place jump.

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Wiaan Mulder reveals reason behind forgoing chance to break Brian Lara’s record

BULAWAYO: South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder has revealed the reason behind selflessly forgoing Brian Lara monumental batting record in the second Test against Zimbabwe.

Wiaan Mulder delivered a record-breaking performance in the ongoing South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test, smashing his maiden triple century and surpassing a long-standing record held by legendary Hashim Amla.

The right-handed batter scored 367* off 334 deliveries, peppered with 49 fours and four maximums. However, the all-rounder decided to declare the Proteas innings just when he was 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s 400* run world record.

While speaking at the end of the day’s play, the Proteas’ stand-in skipper, Wiaan Mulder, shared his thoughts after scoring a record-breaking knock for South Africa.

“To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred. Most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test,” he said.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket

400* – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 2004

380 – Matthew Hayden for Australia v Zimbabwe, Perth 2003

375 – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 1994

374 – Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka v South Africa, Colombo 2006

367* – Wiaan Mulder for South Africa v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025

“We had enough to bowl at. Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England, and for someone to keep that record, it is special. I spoke to Shuks (Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he added.

He also shed light on the learnings from some of the great players, noting that he was not good enough when he started playing cricket.

“When I started playing for South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough. Have had the opportunity to learn from some great players (past and present).”

“Going to England really gave me a chance to understand what kind of batter (I want to be) and figure out (my weaknesses). Lots of lessons (from my time in England). There were so many thoughts like you have got enough.”

Wiaan highlighted the moment he got bowled out on a no-ball while playing at 247 runs during the second South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test.

“When I got bowled on 247, a lapse of concentration, there was so much negative happening. But there was a lot of positive thinking happening as well. Just singing my song between balls, trying to keep myself natural and present, tried feeling my shoes to stay in the moment and not think too far ahead,” Wiaan concluded.

READ: Wiaan Mulder breaks Hashim Amla’s record with historic triple century

Chris Woakes clarifies ‘King Babar’ remark on Wiaan Mulder post

England pacer Chris Woakes has broken his silence on the viral ‘King Babar’ comment he left on Wiaan Mulder’s Instagram, clarifying that it was nothing more than a friendly joke and had no intention of mocking former Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Speaking on a YouTube podcast alongside fellow cricketer Moeen Ali, Woakes addressed the controversy after being asked about the origins of the now-infamous nickname.

“I played with Wiaan Mulder in the South African league, and during the Test series in Pakistan, there had been a bit of an exchange between him and Babar Azam,” Woakes recalled.

He explained that the incident sparked a flood of comments from Pakistani fans on Mulder’s posts, with many sarcastically calling him ‘King Babar.’

Woakes, seeing the humor in it, decided to join the banter by commenting the same.

“It was just light-hearted fun. We used to joke about it in the dressing room too. But when I commented ‘King Babar’ on one of Wiaan’s photos, fans completely misread it,” he said.

Woakes was quick to clarify that the comment was never intended as a dig at Babar Azam.

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“I didn’t mean anything against Babar. The comment was meant in jest, but fans misinterpreted it as a dig at their captain. They even started targeting me in the comments, calling me ‘King Babar’ sarcastically,” he added.

He wrapped up the discussion by reiterating that the incident was a case of online miscommunication and nothing personal.

“I completely understand the passion of the fans, but the whole thing was just a misunderstanding,” he concluded.

READ: Wiaan Mulder breaks Hashim Amla’s record with historic triple century

Wiaan Mulder breaks Hashim Amla’s record with historic triple century

BULAWAYO: South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder delivered a record-breaking performance on Monday during the second Test against Zimbabwe, smashing his maiden triple century and breaking a long-standing record of legendary Hashim Amla.

Resuming Day 2 on his overnight score of 264, the all-rounder didn’t take long to bring up the milestone, reaching his triple hundred in just 297 balls.

In doing so, Mulder registered the second-fastest triple century in the history of Test cricket, only behind Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball effort against South Africa in 2008.

Fastest triple hundreds in Test cricket (by balls faced):

278 – Virender Sehwag vs South Africa, 2008
297 – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025
310 – Harry Brook vs Pakistan, 2024
355 – Wally Hammond vs New Zealand, 1933
362 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003
364 – Virender Sehwag vs Pakistan, 2004

Mulder didn’t stop at 300. He went on to surpass Hashim Amla’s long-standing record of 311 not out, the previous highest individual Test score by a South African, set at The Oval in 2012 against England.

Highest individual scores by South Africans in Tests:

367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025
311* – Hashim Amla vs England, 2012
278* – AB de Villiers vs Pakistan, 2010

The 27-year-old also etched his name in the record books as the first player to score a triple century in his debut innings as Test captain.

In the process, he also overtook Graeme Smith (277) for the highest score by a South African captain in Test cricket.

Highest scores by South African captains in Tests:

367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025
277 – Graeme Smith vs England, 2003
259 – Graeme Smith vs England, 2023

As of this writing, Mulder is playing on 367, which is the joint-sixth highest individual score in Test cricket.

With this innings, he went past legends like Gary Sobers, Sanath Jayasuriya, Hanif Mohammad, and Don Bradman in the list of highest individual scores.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket:

400* – Brian Lara vs England, 2004
380 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003
375 – Brian Lara vs England, 1994
374 – Mahela Jayawardene vs South Africa, 2006
367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

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Wiaan Mulder creates history, becomes first cricketer to achieve THIS feat

BULAWAYO: South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder etched his name into the record books after becoming the highest individual scorer ever on Test captaincy debut.

The right-handed batter, who replaced injured Keshav Maharaj as skipper, came in at No. 03 with South Africa in a precarious position of 24-2.

Wiaan Mulder reached the milestone on the last ball of the 80th over, smashing Wellington Masakadza for a four over the backward square leg boundary.

Highest Individual Test Score on Captaincy Debut

Wiaan Mulder 240* vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025

Graham Dowling 239 vs India, Christchurch 1968

Shivnarine Chanderpaul 203* South Africa Georgetown 2005

Earlier, Wiaan Mulder reached his maiden double century on the fourth ball of the 74th over, smashing Wellington Masakadza for a four over midwicket.

With this feat, he became the first player from South Africa and the overall third to score a double century while playing his first match as captain. Previously, New Zealand’s Graham Dowling and West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul have achieved this feat.

Earlier, the 27-year-old also broke the record for the highest individual score on captaincy debut for the Rainbow Nation.

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He took a single off the fifth ball of Blessing Muzarabani’s 43rd over to reach the three-figure milestone. With his century, he became the third South African player to score a century on his captaincy debut.

South African Captains With Century on Test Debut

Herbie Taylor vs England, 1913
Jackie McGlew vs England, 1955
Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

At the time of filing this story, the Proteas were in a dominant position of 425-4 with still 9 overs left in the day’s play of the second South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test.

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South Africa name new captain ahead of second Test against Zimbabwe

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed all-rounder Wiaan Mulder as the captain for the second Test against Zimbabwe, following the exclusion of stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj due to a groin injury.

Maharaj suffered the aforementioned injury during his batting stint on day three of the series opener in Bulawayo.

The veteran left-arm spinner will return home for further medical assessments, with the extent of the injury yet to be confirmed.

In Maharaj’s absence, Mulder has been handed the captaincy for the second and final Test, set to begin on Saturday.

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy has been called up as a replacement for Maharaj.

South Africa head into the second Test with a 1-0 lead after a dominant 328-run win in the opening match at Queens Sports Club.

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The Proteas’ new-look side made a bold statement, with debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius stealing the spotlight through a remarkable 153-run knock in the first innings.

Wiaan Mulder was equally impressive, making his presence felt in both departments.

After grabbing a crucial four-for in Zimbabwe’s first innings, he followed it up with a gritty century batting at number three, setting the tone for South Africa’s second-innings declaration.

The visitors posted 418/9 in the first innings and 369/6 in the second, setting Zimbabwe a daunting 537-run target.

The hosts’ chase faltered early, and despite some resistance from Wellington Masakadza (57) and a spirited cameo by Blessing Muzarabani (32* off 29), they folded for 208.

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‘He Was Broken’: Wiaan Mulder reveals chat with THIS Australian batter after WTC Final

South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has revealed an emotional chat with Australia’s explosive batter Travis Head after South Africa clinched the ICC World Championship (WTC) title at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground.

The Proteas ended their 27-year wait for an ICC title with a five-wicket win against the defending champions, Australia, in the WTC final.

Aiden Markram starred with the bat, scoring 136 runs in a vital partnership formed with skipper Temba Bavuma.

Wiaan Mulder, who was a teammate of Travis Head in the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, has discussed their conversation after the WTC final.

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“I actually spoke to him (Head) last night on the phone,” Mulder told ICC Digital. “He was happy for us and the way things went. Of course, he was heartbroken that they didn’t win, but I think the spirit of the game was as high and as good as it could be.”

Mulder hailed Aussies as true champions while praising Travis Head and Pat Cummins for their demeanour.

“When you think about the Aussies, you often think of them as being a bit aggressive at times, but these guys are true champions,” he said. “Heady is one of the nicest people around, and Patty (Pat Cummins) is also a great guy,” he said.

The right-handed all-rounder who did not play a single match in the IPL shared insights during his stint with SRH.

“I spent a lot of time with them during the IPL. There was a lot of friendly banter,” Mulder said.

It is noteworthy to mention that Wiaan Mulder was asked to bat at number three in the WTC despite not being a regular at this number. The 27-year-old scored six and 27 runs in the Test match; however, he got the prized wicket of Travis Head in Australia’s second innings.

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