Growing up in the late 1990s, I insisted my younger nephews and nieces call me Imran Khan instead of my real name – our own playful twist on traditional respect rituals. A few years later, I upgraded to Wasim Akram (naturally) and they obligingly followed. They’re all grown now, but they still call me “Mama Khan” or “Wasin Akral”- the clumsy childhood pronunciations that stuck to me the way cricket has.

Last week, witnessing the magnificent Mitchell Starc overtake Akram as the leading left arm wicket-taker, made me pause – isn’t it about time for another upgrade?

On the opening day of the second Test at the Gabba, Starc claimed his 415th Test wicket, surpassing Akram’s longstanding record of 414.

What gives that milestone extra weight is the era in which he’s doing it – a period when cricket has tilted heavily in favour of batters. Boundaries are shorter, rules gentler, bouncers restricted and scoring easier than ever. Yet Starc – with 102 Tests to his name, a bowling average hovering around 26.5, and already 17 five-wicket hauls – refuses to bow down. So yes – in a world where wickets are harder to come by and batting dominates, Starcy’s resurgence doesn’t just feel like a comeback. It feels like a statement.

Fast bowlers of my childhood in the 1990s were the giants who always........

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