The ODI World Cup is held every four years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is considered one of the biggest and most prestigious events in cricket. Multiple teams strive to qualify for the World Cup, but only one team/country can lift the coveted trophy after a month of high-octane games.
10 teams will be playing in the 2023 Cricket World Cup and fans are expecting more engaging sporting action and entertainment, as was the case with the previous edition of the tournament in 2019, which was won by England. Most fans watch cricket or any other sport for entertainment, and nothing excites the crowd more than a boundary or a wicket. We’ve covered the list of top scorers and most explosive forwards that you can check out below.
Top scorers in ICC Cricket World Cup
Highest strike rate in ICC World Cup
Today we take a look at the highest wicket takers in the history of the ICC Cricket World Cup. There are a number of bowlers like Muthiah Muralidaran, Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan who have terrorized the batsmen in their time. Some collected more than 50 wickets and recorded impressive six and seven wickets.
Related:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Tickets
Players with the most wickets in the ICC ODI World Cup
The One Day International (ODI) format of the World Cup allows players more freedom to practice their abilities and showcase their cricketing prowess. You will rarely find a batsman trying to hit boundaries from the very first ball or a bowler aiming for wide yorkers.
In 50-over games, the cricketers play responsibly, resulting in somewhat slow but intriguing games. The bowlers also get their time to shine, unlike in T20 where they are mostly on the batsmen. Five- and six-wicket draws are fairly common at the World Cup, with some players having multiple names.
#1 Glenn McGrath
Australia’s fearsome fast bowler Glenn McGrath is the leading wicket-taker in the ICC World Cup. He was instrumental in Australia’s back-to-back World Cup victories in 1999, 2003 and 2007. McGrath was known for his bowling accuracy and consistency. His pace and economy were also incredible and his incredible record of 71 World Cup wickets in 39 innings is unlikely to be surpassed.
#2 Muthiah Muralidaran
Sri Lanka’s Muthiah Muralidaran closely follows Glenn McGrath with 68 World Cup wickets in 30 innings. A master spinner, Muralidaran is one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket and was part of the 1996 World Cup winning team. He was known for his signature spin action and smooth bowling.
#3 Lasith Malinga
The King of Yorkans, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga is known for throwing the ball at even the best batsmen with his quick and sharp shots. He took 56 wickets in just 28 World Cup innings, with best figures of 6/38. Malinga was known for his unorthodox sling action and in-swinging yorkers. Malinga also holds the record for the most hat-tricks in the World Cup.
Below you can check the list of top wicket takers in Cricket World Cup.
Most wicket takers in the Cricket World Cup | ||||||
Rank | Player | Wickets | Innings | Is running | The best figure | Span |
1 | Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 71 | 39 | 1292 | 7/15 | 1996-2007 |
2 | Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 68 | 39 | 1335 | 4/19 | 1996-2011 |
3 | Lasith Malinga (SL) | 56 | 28 | 1281 | 6/38 | 2007-2019 |
4 | Wasim Akram (PAK) | 55 | 36 | 1311 | 5/28 | 1987-2003 |
5 | Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 50 | 19 | 757 | 6/28 | 2015-2023 |
6 | Chaminda Vaas (SL) | 49 | 31 | 1040 | 6/25 | 1996-2007 |
7 | Zaheer Khan (IND) | 44 | 23 | 890 | 4/42 | 2003-2011 |
8 | Javagal Srinath (IND) | 44 | 33 | 1224 | 4/30 | 1992-2003 |
9 | Imran Tahir (SA) | 40 | 21 | 847 | 5/45 | 2011-2019 |
10 | Trent Boult (NZ) | 39 | 19 | 850 | 5/27 | 2015-2019 |
11 | Allan Donald (SA) | 38 | 25 | 913 | 4/17 | 1992-2003 |
12 | Jacob Oram (NZ) | 36 | 23 | 768 | 4/39 | 2003-2011 |
13 | Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 36 | 31 | 1168 | 4/18 | 2003-2015 |
14 | Brett Lee (AUS) | 35 | 17 | 629 | 5/42 | 2003-2011 |
15 | Wahab Riaz (PAK) | 35 | 20 | 926 | 5/46 | 2011-2019 |
16 | Brad Hogg (AUS) | 34 | 20 | 654 | 4/27 | 2003-2007 |
17 | Imran Khan (PAK) | 34 | 19 | 655 | 4/37 | 1975-1992 |
18 | Shaun Tait (AUS) | 34 | 18 | 731 | 4/39 | 2007-2011 |
19 | Tim Southee (NZ) | 34 | 18 | 854 | 7/33 | 2011-2019 |
20 | Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 34 | 29 | 1222 | 5/29 | 2007-2019 |
21 | Shane Warne (AUS) | 32 | 17 | 624 | 4/29 | 1996-1999 |
22 | Chris Harris (NZ) | 32 | 27 | 861 | 4/7 | 1992-2003 |
23 | Mohammed Shami (IND) | 31 | 11 | 487 | 5/69 | 2015-2019 |
24 | Anil Kumble (IND) | 31 | 18 | 708 | 4/32 | 1996-2007 |
25 | Shaun Pollock (SA) | 31 | 31 | 970 | 5/36 | 1996-2007 |
26 | Shane Bond (NZ) | 30 | 16 | 518 | 6/23 | 2003-2007 |
27 | Ian Botham (ENG) | 30 | 22 | 762 | 4/31 | 1979-1992 |
28 | Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) | 30 | 18 | 765 | 4/46 | 1999-2011 |
29 | Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 30 | 24 | 831 | 5/16 | 1999-2015 |
30 | Phil DeFreitas (ENG) | 29 | 22 | 742 | 3/28 | 1987-1996 |
31 | Kapil Dev (IND) | 28 | 25 | 892 | 5/43 | 1979-1992 |
32 | Courtney Walsh (WI) | 27 | 17 | 547 | 4/25 | 1987-1999 |
33 | Craig McDermott (AUS) | 27 | 17 | 599 | 5/44 | 1987-1996 |
34 | Steve Waugh (AUS) | 27 | 26 | 814 | 3/36 | 1987-1999 |
35 | Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 27 | 31 | 1060 | 3/12 | 1992-2007 |
36 | James Anderson | 27 | 25 | 1081 | 4/25 | 2003-2015 |
37 | Morne Morkel (SA) | 26 | 14 | 506 | 3/33 | 2011-2015 |
38 | Mushtaq Ahmed (PAK) | 26 | 14 | 549 | 3/16 | 1992-1996 |
39 | Andy Roberts (WI) | 26 | 16 | 552 | 3/32 | 1975-1983 |
40 | Damien Fleming (AUS) | 26 | 16 | 583 | 5/36 | 1996-1999 |
41 | Mitchell Johnson (AUS) | 25 | 15 | 557 | 4/19 | 2011-2015 |
42 | Curtly Ambrose (WI) | 24 | 17 | 499 | 3/28 | 1992-1999 |
43 | Abdul Qadir (PAK) | 24 | 13 | 506 | 5/44 | 1983-1987 |
44 | Manoj Prabhakar (IND) | 24 | 18 | 640 | 4/19 | 1987-1996 |
45 | Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK) | 23 | 14 | 494 | 5/35 | 1996-2003 |
46 | Andrew Flintoff (ENG) | 23 | 17 | 534 | 4/43 | 1999-2007 |
47 | Dale Steyn (SA) | 23 | 14 | 538 | 5/50 | 2011-2015 |
48 | Andre Russell (WI) | 23 | 14 | 576 | 4/49 | 2011-2019 |
49 | Jerome Taylor (WI) | 23 | 14 | 634 | 3/15 | 2007-2015 |
50 | Thomas Odoyo (KENYA) | 23 | 24 | 817 | 4/28 | 1996-2011 |
| *Image source: ESPNcricinfo |
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education