LAHORE: Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was over the moon Saturday after becoming only the second bowler in one-day history to reach the magical 500-wicket mark.
Muralitharan, already the world's leading Test wicket-taker, said that he was happy to collect his 500th wicket in one-dayers in Sri Lanka's crushing 234-run victory over Pakistan in the ODI series final in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium.
Muralitharan, 36, bowled just 1.5 overs in the match but finished with 2 for 2 to complete 500 wickets in one-dayers. He scalped tail-enders Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Sohail Khan and is now just three wickets away from breaking former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram's record of 502 wickets in one-day internationals.
The veteran spinner is already the world's top wicket-taker in Test cricket with 769 in 125 Tests. He made his one-day debut against India in 1993, and has 10 times taken five wickets in a match in a 323-match career.