Kagiso Rabada ends 2018 as world’s No 1 Test wicket-taker

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) latest Test rankings which were released on Sunday shows South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada as the world’s leading Test wicket-taker for 2018.

Rabada, who took six wickets in South Africa’s victory in the first Test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion, finished the year with 52 wickets.

The Proteas quickie edged out Sri Lanka’s Dilruwan Perera (50 wickets) and Australia’s Nathan Lyon (49 wickets) as the year’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, followed by India’s Jasprit Bumrah (48) and Mohammed Shami (47 wickets).

Rabada, 23, is also the number one bowler on the ICC’s rankings for Test bowlers and his 52 scalps this year included a record-breaking 11 wickets in the match against Australia at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

Rabada’s fast bowling partner, Dale Steyn, also had his place in the sun as he recently surpassed Shaun Pollock’s tally of 421 to become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.

However, for Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis, there was the dubious distinction of having the second-worst average among Test cricket’s captains.

Of the captains who have batted 10 times or more this year, Du Plessis only managed an average of 24.36 in 10 matches.

The only captain lower was Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed (24.07).

In fact, during the opening Test in Centurion, the two skippers - Du Plessis and Ahmed – failed to score a run, with ducks in each innings, a statistic which was a first in the history of Test cricket.