Dave Richardson (38) and Allan Donald (31) already share one South African Test match record. They are the most successful bowler/wicketkeeper combination in the nation’s history with over 40 shared dismissals.
They are also bearing down on the individual records in their chosen departments of the game. Ironically, with Richardson just three scalps short of equalling Johnny Waites record of 141 and Donald 11 wickets short of Hugh Tayfield’s tally of 170, both men were struggling to be fit for the Sheikhupura Test.
Donald strained a muscle in his left thigh while Richardson tweaked his left hamstring during the team’s three-day match in Peshawar.
If both men are fit to play, and Donald breaks his record it will be one the greatest fast bowling performances on the subcontinent ever, and South Africa would surely win the Test. Richardson, on the other hand, can almost be expected to break the record in his 39th Test as opposed to the 50 played by Waite.
If neither plays, however, South Africans will be provided with a glimpse into the future with Lance Klusener sharing the new ball with Shaun Pollock and the promising 20-year-old Mark Boucher taking the gloves from Richardson.