Former Whitehaven professional Safyaan Sharif has just reached a significant milestone in his playing career.
In a one-day international in Dundee he had the Dutch opener Michael Levitt caught to reach 259 wickets for the Scots.
He is has now moved past Majid Haq at the top of the list in Scotland with the most wickets for his adopted country.
Now aged 34 the Huddersfield-born Sharif has been a fixture in the Scotland side for 13 years and has also played limited overs cricket for both Kent and Derbyshire.
He was a match-day pro for Whitehaven in 2019, travelling from Scotland for games, and was a popular member of the club that year.
He had made headlines the previous summer when a superb in-swinging yorker hit Mark Wood on the toe to seal one of the great ODI wins by any team as Scotland beat Eoin Morgan’s all-conquering England side.
That made him a Scottish legend and now he’s cemented his place in the country’s record books with his 259th victim, which underlines his continuing importance to the Scotland side.
He finished the defeat by the Dutch with figures of 3-62, taking him to 261 and he told journalists after the game: “It was a proud moment to break a milestone.
“Just thinking back on all the sacrifices I’ve made and the hard work that’s been put in to get to where I am – it’s a nice reminder of where I started and what I’ve achieved.”
He has the chance to add to that tally in a T20 tri-series against the same opposition and Nepal, starting in Glasgow on Sunday.
Having made his international debut in 2011, Sharif has been a fixture for the national team during periods of ups and downs.
“To be a seam bowler, play the length of time he has and persist with what’s required to stay fit and produce for his country has been a phenomenal achievement,” Sharif’s former team-mate Kyle Coetzer told BBC Scotland.
“To rack up the number of wickets he has, the numbers don’t lie. He’s got to rank up there as one of Scotland’s greatest ever.”
“It was a pleasure to captain Saffy,” Coetzer said. “He would be willing to bowl the hard overs and those are the characters you want in your team. I trusted him and knew he had the skills.”
Born in Huddersfield before growing up in Fife, Sharif first got involved in the sport at Dunnikier Cricket Club in Kirkcaldy.
He played for Largo and Dunfermline, before his talents led to regional recognition and then full Scotland honours at the age of just 20.
“It’s been one hell of a journey,” Sharif said. “Without the hard work and sacrifice, you won’t be able to achieve anything. The support I’ve had from family and friends has been amazing.”My dad was there, some family friends and a lot of supporters from Perth where I currently play club cricket. To enjoy that moment
