Shaun Pollock remains the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in ODI cricket by some distance. Pollock is the only South African to have taken more than 300 wickets in the ODI format and might hold the record for some time, given the rise of T20Is in recent times.

There are, however, bowlers who could get up toward Pollock’s incredible mark of 387 wickets. Here, we look at the five currently active Proteas bowlers who have the most scalps to their name.

• 5. Chris Morris – 48 wickets in 42 ODIs

Morris was the Proteas all-rounder of choice in white-ball cricket between 2016 and 2019, but has found himself on the fringes this season.

He was playing Big Bash League cricket while the Proteas welcomed England and had to clarify that he remained available for selection for the national team.

Morris could still feature in T20I cricket, but may have played his last ODI. He was the country’s leading wicket-taker at the 2019 World Cup, despite being an afterthought for the squad.

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• 4. Lungi Ngidi – 53 wickets in 26 ODIs

Ngidi is the first realistic candidate for bowling records in ODI cricket and currently sports a superior strike rate to Pollock.

Injury will likely be the biggest obstacle Ngidi has to overcome to fulfil his potential as a bowler. This potential is, frankly, immense.

The young strike bowler struggled for rhythm in the summer past until his six-wicket haul against Australia in Bloemfontein.

• 3. Andile Phehlukwayo – 69 wickets in 58 ODIs

One of the most intelligent Proteas bowlers in the ODI format, Phehlukwayo seems to have a knack for claiming important wickets.

His variations can be his greatest strength or his biggest weakness and he is sometimes guilty of mixing it up too much.

If Phehlukwayo can keep improving in white-ball cricket, he will end up with a big bag of wickets.

• 2. Kagiso Rabada – 117 wickets in 75 ODIs

The Proteas’ lead bowler across all three formats, Rabada didn’t play in any of South Africa’s six ODIs in 2020 so far, but he should still be in the frame to break Pollock’s record.

If appropriately used, Rabada has the potential to break world records, let alone the marks set by South Africa’s elite bowlers.

Rabada has six four-wicket hauls to his name in ODI cricket and is ninth on the all-time ODI wicket-takers list for South Africa.

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• 1. Dale Steyn – 186 wickets in 125 ODIs

At one time it seemed a foregone conclusion that Steyn would break every wicket-taking record for South Africa, but a dip in ODI form and his well-documented injury woes mean that the ‘Phalaborwa Express’ might come to a halt just shy of 200 scalps in the format.

Steyn is technically still available for selection in ODI cricket, but since he withdrew from the 2019 World Cup, he has only been selected for T20I cricket.

He might still be able to do a job for South Africa over 10 overs, but a prolonged hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic might mean he has already played his last match in the format.

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