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'Proud' Sharif adds another landmark to fine career
In the midst of a quite remarkable one-day international in Dundee on Thursday, Safyaan Sharif squared up Dutch opener Michael Levitt, found the outside edge of the bat and saw the ball fly safely into the hands of Brandon McMullen at short third. It was Sharif's 259th wicket in Scotland colours. He now stands alone as his country's most prolific bowler, moving past Majid Haq at the top of the 34-year-old is no stranger to landmark moments. His inswinging yorker that hit Mark Wood on the toe in 2018 sealed one of the great ODI wins by any team as Scotland beat Eoin Morgan's all-conquering England moment alone was enough to secure his place within the history of Scottish cricket, but his 259th scalp highlights his longevity and his enduring quality."It was a proud moment to break a milestone," Sharif said. "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 finished the defeat by the Dutch with figures of 3-62, taking him to 261 Scotland wickets in total. 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."
The 'funny character' who is 'a pleasure to captain'
Alongside the impressive raw statistics, Coetzer - who captained Scotland for nine years - praised Sharif's character and his desire to step up in high pressure scenarios."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 has made no secret of his father's influence on his cricketing introduction to the game was watching his dad from the sidelines before getting involved himself 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."I remember him coming through as this slight lad with a really fashionable hairdo and he was very raw," Coetzer said. "He's a really easy going guy and he's a funny character. To see where he has got to is through his hard work behind the scenes. "He's had to develop his game, find new ways to take wickets and for Saffy to keep rejuvenating himself is something to be really proud of."Around the time he broke into the Scotland set-up, Sharif followed his father's advice and went to Pakistan to train. By his own admission, he came back a more rounded bowler. The skills he developed over time have seen him dismiss the likes of Chris Gayle and Kane Williamson in a long international career."He was known for swinging the ball, then learned to move the ball off the pitch and developed his slower balls and death skills," Coetzer said."When I was playing with Saffy, those skills won us a lot of games at the back end."Sharif says having loved ones at Forthill to see him remove Levitt made it all the more special, but that it would not have come to pass without the graft put in behind the scenes."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 with everyone was special."
