“You can't be too stats oriented” - Kagiso Rabada reacts to completing 500 international wickets

South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has played down the significance of reaching 500 wickets in international cricket. He admitted that statistics are a measure of performance, but added that his main aim will remain to pick many more wickets for South Africa.

Rabada was the star performer on Day 1 of the Centurion Test against India on Tuesday, December 26. He claimed 5/44 in 17 overs to reduce the visitors to 208/8 in 59 overs by stumps on Day 1 after the Proteas won the toss and bowled first.

With this 14th five-wicket haul in Tests, Rabada also joined the illustrious list of bowlers with 500 or more international scalps. Speaking at the end of the opening day’s play in Centurion, though, he played down the achievement.

“Milestones are a great thing. When you're young, you want to become the best. Statistics are a description of how you play and a metric to measure your quality. But at the end of the day, you can't be too stats oriented. It's literally just about going through your processes and whatever happens next is out of your control. Hopefully, I can get many more wickets for South Africa,” the 28-year-old Proteas pacer said.

Rabada is the seventh South African bowler to claim 500 international scalps. Shaun Pollock (823), Dale Steyn (697), Makhaya Ntini (661), Allan Donald (602), Jacques Kallis (572) and Morne Morkel (535) are the other Proteas bowlers on the famed list.

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“You are playing two Test matches a year” - Makhaya Ntini doesn’t see Rabada going past Steyn's Test tally

Former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini applauded Rabada as one of the greats of Proteas cricket.

He, however, opined that the pacer is unlikely to go past Dale Steyn’s Test tally of 439 wickets because South Africa do not play enough Test matches in a year.

“He is already up there (among greats). When you talk about those guys, when you talk about those bowlers, they have passed the 400-mark and KG (Rabada) is chasing the 300-mark. But we have got a massive problem. You are playing two Test matches a year and what is that? Do you think this guy (Rabada) can hold up till he gets to that milestone,” Nitini told PTI.

Rabada, 28, is playing in his 61st Test. He has 285 wickets to his name in the format at an average of 22.10.