🏏 Mitchell Starc on the Verge of History: The Left-Arm Legend Who May Surpass Wasim Akram’s Iconic Test Wickets Record 🌟🔥
There are moments in cricket that transcend scorecards, formats, and rivalries. Moments that define eras. Moments that elevate a player from greatness to immortality.
Mitchell Starc approaching Wasim Akram’s historic mark of 414 Test wickets is one of those rare cricketing moments.
The Ashes is already the biggest stage in Test cricket — but for Starc, this series is turning into a quest for history.
A journey 14 years in the making.
A chase behind the single greatest left-arm fast bowler the game has ever known.
Today, Starc sits at 412 Test wickets.
Just two shy of equaling Akram.
Just three from overtaking him… and rewriting the list of the greatest left-arm pacers in Test history.
Let’s begin the deep dive.
🕊️ The Chase Behind a Legend: Starc Closing in on Wasim Akram 👑🔥
Wasim Akram’s tally of 414 wickets in 104 Tests has been untouched for two decades.
Akram wasn’t merely a bowler —
he was an artist who painted masterpieces with reverse swing, seam movement, cutters, yorkers, and unmatched control.
Starc's chase of Akram’s historic mark is monumental because:
⭐ It is the highest benchmark for left-arm fast bowling.
No left-arm pacer in history has crossed 414 wickets.
⭐ Starc is the only bowler close enough to threaten the record.
⭐ He did it in just 101 Tests, not 104.
⭐ He is still hungry, still fiery, still breaking techniques with sheer pace.
The comparison is not about replacing Akram —
it is about joining him on the mountaintop only reserved for generational greats.
⚡ Updated List: Most Wickets by Left-Arm Pacers in Test Cricket 🏆
| Rank | Player | Country | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 104 | 414 |
| 2 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 101 | 412* |
| 3 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 111 | 355 |
| 4 | Trent Boult | New Zealand | 78 | 317 |
| 5 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia | 73 | 313 |
▶️ Only two wickets separate Starc from sharing the throne with Wasim Akram.
▶️ Only three to surpass him — a moment the cricket world has long anticipated.
🚀 Starc’s 2025 Ashes Form: A Career Reborn 🌩️
If there was ever a time for Mitchell Starc to peak, 2025 is that year.
🔥 2025 Stats (so far):
- 39 wickets
- Average: 15.71
- Strike rate: 29.3
- One 10-wicket match haul
- Two 7-wicket innings hauls
These numbers are outrageous —
these numbers belong to a bowler dominating a generation.
His performance in the Ashes opener at Perth will go down as one of the greatest spells in Ashes history.
🥵 Match Figures vs England (Perth Test)
- 7/58 (first innings)
- 3/55 (second innings)
- 10/113 overall
With Cummins & Hazlewood injured, Starc became a one-man demolition machine.
England’s Bazball?
Starc turned it into Baz-fall.
🌪️ What Makes Starc So Deadly? A Technical Breakdown 🎯
Mitchell Starc is a rare combination of:
💨 Raw pace (150 km/h+)
🎯 Swing at high speed
🔨 Lethal yorkers (ODI World Cup legend)
🪄 Reverse swing mastery
😈 Angle of delivery from wide crease
🎢 Unpredictable bounce
🧠 Tactical maturity after 14 years in Test cricket
While Akram was a magician, Starc is a thunderstorm.
Where Akram dismantled batters with precision…
Starc devastates them with raw destruction.
🏟️ Why the Gabba Is the Perfect Stage for This Record 🐊🔥
The upcoming Ashes Test at the Gabba is not just another match —
it is the ideal arena for Starc’s historic moment.
🟡 Why? Because:
- He loves bounce
- He loves pace-friendly wickets
- He loves the pink ball
- He averages under 24 at the Gabba
- He has multiple five-wicket hauls here
- Left-armers dominate in Brisbane
Cricketory Prediction:
🎯 Starc breaks the record on Day 1 or Day 2 at the Gabba.
🔥 Starc vs Akram The Ultimate Statistical Comparison 🧮
This comparison is NOT about diminishing either.
It’s about understanding context and appreciating two left-arm kings.
⭐ Career Stats Comparison
| Category | Wasim Akram | Mitchell Starc |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 104 | 101 |
| Wickets | 414 | 412* |
| Bowling Average | 23.62 | 27.29 |
| Strike Rate | 54.6 | 49.1 |
| 5W Hauls | 25 | 15 |
| 10W Hauls | 5 | 2 |
| Best Figures | 7/119 | 8/73 |
| Peak Years | 1990–1999 | 2015–2025 |
🔥 Full Perth Test Breakdown Where the Record Chase Accelerated 🥵
🏏 First Innings – England All Out for 172
Starc's new-ball spell set the tone:
- Sharp swing
- Steep bounce
- A perfect 150+ yorker to Buttler
- Short ball traps for Pope & Duckett
This was vintage Starc.
🇦🇺 Australia’s Reply Labuschagne, Head, and Grit
Australia managed 132, but the match flipped again with Starc’s magic.
🇬🇧 England’s Second Innings – Collapse Again
Starc took 3 more wickets:
- One inswinger
- One short-ball surprise
- One reverse-swing full ball
It was complete domination.
💥 Travis Head’s 69-ball Hundred
One of the fastest Ashes tons ever.
A destructive innings when the game demanded calm.
He and Starc were the twin architects of Australia’s win.
🌟 Why Starc’s Record Means More Than Numbers 🧠
This achievement symbolizes:
🥇 Longevity
🔥 Consistency in big moments
🧱 Bowling through injuries
⚔️ Dominating multiple generations of batters
🇦🇺 Carrying Australian bowling during injury crises
Starc has been criticized often —
for economy, for inconsistency, for aggression.
But when Australia needed him the most…
He delivered.
Again and again.
🔬 Cricketory Deep Analysis: The Hidden Factors Behind Starc’s Late Career Peak 📈
Our analysis identifies six reasons for Starc’s 2025 explosion:
1️⃣ Run-up adjustment improving rhythm
Starc’s new run-up allows more balance at the crease.
2️⃣ Wider crease angle used more frequently
This creates the “slant in, swing away” nightmare.
3️⃣ Longer spells in 2025
Australia trusted him to bowl 8–10 over bursts.
4️⃣ Improved control of wobble seam
Starc rarely used this earlier in his career.
5️⃣ Pink ball mastery
He is the deadliest pink-ball bowler EVER.
6️⃣ Fitness peak at age 35
Experience + full fitness = dominance.
⚔️ What Happens If Starc Breaks the Record? 🏆
🟩 Immediate outcome:
- Starc becomes No.1 all-time left-arm pacer
- Australia gains a psychological upper hand in Ashes
- England’s Bazball again under pressure
- Record stands for possibly 20+ years
🟩 Long-term outcome:
- Starc enters the “greatest pacers” debate
- A future ICC Hall of Fame induction becomes guaranteed
- The left-arm pace legacy gets a new flagbearer
📉 How Long Can Starc Continue? Career Projection 📅
Starc is 35 — in fast bowling years, that’s late.
But he has:
- Excellent fitness
- Reduced workload due to rotating attack
- A mentally strong mindset
- A simplified action that stresses his body less
Cricketory Projection:
⭐ Starc can play 2–3 more years
⭐ He can reach 450–475 wickets realistically
⭐ If extremely fit, 500 wickets is not impossible
🧠 Why This Record Matters to Cricket Fans Worldwide 🌍
Cricket loves:
- Battles
- Records
- Rivalries
- Moments of greatness
- Legacies
When Starc surpasses Akram, the cricket world will witness:
❤️ A passing of the torch
💚 Pakistan’s pride meeting Australia’s fire
🔥 The highest peak of left-arm fast bowling
🕊️ A rare cricket moment that generations will celebrate
📝 Cricketory’s Final Verdict: Starc’s Destiny Awaits 🌟
Mitchell Starc is not chasing Wasim Akram’s shadow —
he is chasing his own destiny.
Akram will always remain the Sultan of Swing.
Starc will always remain the King of Destruction.
Two legends.
Two eras.
One record.
And the Gabba might witness the moment that binds these two forever.
❓ FAQs Mitchell Starc Record Special (Cricketory Edition) 🙋♂️
Q1: How many wickets does Starc need to break Wasim Akram’s record?
A:He needs 3 wickets to surpass Akram’s 414.
Q2: Can he break the record in the next match?
A:Yes — it is extremely likely he will break it at the Gabba.
Q3: Is Starc statistically better than Akram?
A:Both are legends; Akram has a better average, Starc has a better strike rate.
Q4: Will Starc reach 500 Test wickets?
A: Possible, but depends on fitness and workload.
Q5: Who is the next closest left-arm pacer?
A: Chaminda Vaas (355 wickets) — far below Starc’s tally.
🧠 Cricketory Insight: The Moment That Will Echo Across Generations 📢
Mitchell Starc’s rise from a raw speedster to a complete match-winner represents the evolution of fast bowling itself. His pursuit of Wasim Akram’s record is more than a statistic — it is a symbol of the legacy left by cricketing greats and the continuity that keeps this sport emotionally alive.