Glenn McGrath challenges James Anderson to reach 600 wickets after snatching Test record

Record-breaker: James Anderson celebrates his 564th Test wicket
Getty Images
Standard Sport12 September 2018

Glenn McGrath has questioned whether James Anderson's record Test wicket haul for a fast bowler will ever be broken.

Anderson overtook Australia great McGrath when he took the final wicket of the fifth Specsavers Test to secure a 118-run and 4-1 series victory for England.

The 36-year-old is up to fourth in the global list with 564 Test victims, with only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619) above him.

England team-mate Stuart Broad, 32, is Anderson's nearest active challenger with 433, while injury-hit South Africa quick Dale Steyn, 35, has taken 421 Test wickets.

"If there is anyone out there, they have got a long way to go," McGrath told BBC Radio 5 live. "I don't think we'll see it happen in the next decade.

"Just to play enough games to get anywhere near it is tough in itself. Other than Jimmy (143), no other fast bowler in the history of the game has played more than 132 Tests.

"Also, the nature of cricket these days is that there is so much more Twenty20.

"The game is quicker, it's faster. And will bowlers play enough Test cricket in the future to get anywhere near the mark?"

AFP/Getty Images

Anderson shows no sign of letting up and has another milestone well within his sights.

"If he can raise the bar to 600 wickets, that's an incredible effort," said McGrath, who took the record from Courtney Walsh in 2005.

"I was proud to hold it for as long as I did - for it to be beaten by somebody like Jimmy Anderson is great.

"I have a lot of respect for Jimmy. He's been an incredible bowler for a long time.

"To think that Jimmy's played for so long and continued at the top of his game shows his work ethic, his physical and mental strength and everything else that goes into it.

"When it comes to the art of swing bowling, there is no-one better."

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