Kemar Roach targets 300 Test wickets after equalling Michael Holding

Only five men – Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Lance Gibbs and Joel Garner – have been more prolific in Test cricket for West Indies

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West Indies seamer Kemar Roach believes he still has "two or three years in me" as he eyes up the landmark of 300 Test wickets.

Roach, 33, equalled Michael Holding's tally of 249 in West Indies' comprehensive victory over Bangladesh on Sunday, during which he claimed seven victims to be named as player of the match for his five-wicket haul in the second innings.

"I am proud because of how I started," said Roach, whose Test debut came 13 years ago against Bangladesh as part of a second-string squad picked following a row between the first-choice team and the board.

"Obviously, I came into the team under very difficult conditions and then obviously to build a career and get amongst the greats is always a good feeling.

"I am always one for stats. I love my stats. I always look at my stats – every night. Even if I'm not playing, I still look at my stats, so it's good to be among the greats. It's good to be up there with all the fantastic people in West Indies cricket."

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Kemar Roach also made his Test debut against Bangladesh (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)

Only five men – Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Lance Gibbs and Joel Garner – have been more prolific in Test cricket for West Indies, and only eight bowlers still active in Test cricket have surpassed Roach's haul. He is now just 10 behind Garner, having overtaken Garfield Sobers in March.

In the last five years, Roach has taken his wickets at just 23.33 apiece. Of the 20 leading wicket-takers worldwide in that time, only James Anderson, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah have claimed their wickets more cheaply.

"It's been commitment and hard work and I've had to improve on my skill," he said of his longevity. "It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of consistent bowling obviously to get where you want to be in your career. It's been blood, sweat and tears – blood, sweat and tears – and it's actually good to go out there and see the results."


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