The 34-year-old England pacer Stuart Broad just completed his 500 Test wickets during his 140th Test match which was against West Indies at Manchester. After that match, the legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne congratulated him and set a new giant target for the English pacer.
It was the last game of the three-match Test series between the hosts England and the visitors West Indies. On the fifth day of that Test match, Stuart Broad reached the 500-Test-wicket milestone when he trapped the Caribbean opener and Test vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite lbw. The right-arm English pacer took one more wicket in that game as he has now taken 501 wickets in 140 Tests.
Broad became the second England bowler, fourth overall pace bowler and seventh overall bowler to claim 500+ Test wickets. After that Test match, Broad has wished to stretch his Test wicket tally to 600.
700+ a good chance: Shane Warne about Stuart Broad
However, the legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne believes that Broad has still plenty of years left in international cricket. The first 700-Test wicket-taker Warne feels that Broad still has a good chance to pick up more than 700 Test wickets.
Warne wrote on his Twitter account, “Congrats on the win & on the 500th wicket too mate and at only 34 years of age – still plenty of years left, 700+ a good chance ??????”
Congrats on the win & on the 500th wicket too mate and at only 34 years of age – still plenty of years left, 700+ a good chance ?????? https://t.co/imDx7UPbPw
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) July 28, 2020
Only two players have managed to reach the 700 Test wickets mark till the date. While Warne achieved that feat in December 2006 in his 144th Test match (against England at Melbourne), the legendary Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the other bowler to complete 700 Test wickets in his 113th Test match (against Bangladesh at Kandy). While Warne finished his Test career with 708 wickets, Muralitharan managed to finish his Test career with 800 wickets.
So, no pacers have reached this milestone yet, in fact, no pacer has managed to pick up 600 Test wickets yet. The 37-year-old England pacer James Anderson is currently the most Test wicket-taker among the pacers as the right-arm pacer has taken 589 wickets in 153 Tests.