To snaffle wickets while simultaneously maintaining their economy, bowlers must display resilience and patience. To display such skill consistently in all three cricketing formats is not a feat for everyone. However, many legendary bowlers in the past as well as present have stunned the world with their abilities and succeeded in creating history. In this blog, we will enlist the top 10 players who have picked up the most wickets in international cricket.
Without further ado, let’s dig in!
List of 10 Bowlers With the Wickets In International Cricket
Below is the list of 10 bowlers with the most wickets in International Cricket.
| Player Name | Wickets | Matches | Economy | Average | Strike Rate | Best Figures | 5 Ws | 10Ws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muarlitharan | 1347 | 495 | 2.92 | 22.86 | 46.8 | 9/51 | 77 | 12 |
| Shane Warne | 1001 | 339 | 2.98 | 25.51 | 51.2 | 8/71 | 38 | 10 |
| James Anderson | 977 | 396 | 3.24 | 27.27 | 50.3 | 7/42 | 34 | 3 |
| Anil Kumble | 956 | 403 | 3.11 | 30.09 | 57.8 | 10/74 | 37 | 8 |
| Glenn McGrath | 949 | 376 | 2.93 | 21.76 | 44.5 | 8/34 | 36 | 3 |
| Wasim Akram | 916 | 460 | 3.17 | 23.57 | 44.5 | 7/119 | 31 | 5 |
| Stuart Broad | 847 | 344 | 3.45 | 27.83 | 48.3 | 8/15 | 21 | 3 |
| Shaun Pollock | 829 | 423 | 2.92 | 23.73 | 48.6 | 7/87 | 21 | 1 |
| Waqar Younis | 349 | 789 | 3.88 | 23.7 | 36.6 | 7/36 | 35 | 5 |
| Chaminda Vaas | 761 | 439 | 3.3 | 28.44 | 51.7 | 8/19 | 16 | 2 |
1. Muttiah Muralitharan
The Sri Lankan superstar tops this prestigious list with 1347 international wickets. Muralitharan represented his team from 1992 to 2011 in 495 matches. He picked up 800 Test wickets, 534 ODI wickets, and 13 T20I wickets at an overall impressive economy of 2.92. The right-arm off-spinner enjoys the record for most 10-wicket-hauls in International cricket (12).
A testament to his lustrous career is the fact that he topped the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling ranking in 2000 and the Test ranking in 2002. He bowled at an average of 22.86 and has 77 five-wicket-hauls to his name. Muttiah also holds the record for most wickets taken stumped in all three cricketing formats (104). He achieved a bowling strike rate of 46.8 and also set a record for the most wickets in a calendar year (136 in 2001).
2. Shane Warne
The Australian legend took 1001 wickets in his 15-year career. He bowled at an average of 25.51 and has ten 10-wicket-hauls and thirty-eight 5-wicket-hauls to his name. The former right-arm leg spinner picked up 708 Test wickets and 293 ODI wickets.
Warne is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of his time and his superb stats include an incredible economy of 2.98 and a bowling strike rate of 51.2. Shane holds the record for being in 2nd position for most 10-wicket-hauls (10) and most wickets taken stumped (86). The iconic star’s best career figures were 8/71 against England in 1994..
3. James Anderson
The English cricketer has proved himself to be one of the most prolific and gifted bowlers with 977 International wickets. The right-arm pacer has picked up 690 Test wickets, 269 ODI wickets, and 18 T20I wickets at a decent economy of 3.24.
Known as the “King of Swing”, James is known to be quite deadly in his bowling style with thirty-four 5-wicket-hauls and three 10-wicket-hauls. His career-best figures so far are 7/42 against West Indies in 2017. Anderson was also ranked as #1 Test bowler in 2016. He bowls with an average of 27.27 and at a strike rate of 50.3.
4. Anil Kumble
The former Indian captain finds himself in the 4th spot in the list of bowlers with the most wickets in International cricket. Anil snaffled 956 wickets at an economy of 3.09. The right-arm leg spinner picked up 619 Test wickets and 269 ODI wickets in his 18-year career.
The Indian icon holds the record for most 5-wicket-hauls in an innings in a career (37). He also has eight 10-wicket-hauls. Kumble represented his team in 403 International matches and bowled at an average of 30.09. His career-best figures were achieved in a test match against Pakistan in 1999 (10/74).
5. Glenn McGrath
The former Australian pacer took the mid-1990s by storm. He picked up 949 International wickets in 376 matches (493 innings). Glenn snaffled 563 Test wickets, 381 ODI wickets, and 5 T20I wickets in his 14-year career.
The fast bowler has thirty-six 5-wicket-hauls and three 10-wicket-hauls to his name. He bowled at an amazing economy of 2.93 and with an average of 21.76. McGrath produced many outstanding performances in his career including his phenomenal spell of 8/24 against Pakistan in 2004.
6. Wasim Akram
The Pakistani former skipper bagged 916 wickets in his career that lasted from 1984 to 2003. He bowled at an average of 23.57 and has thirty-one 5-wicket-hauls to his name. Wasim picked up 414 Test wickets and 502 ODI wickets at an overall modest economy of 3.17. The left-arm fast bowler holds the record for being 2nd in getting most wickets taken lbw (211).
Akram was known to be destructive in his bowling and has five 10-wicket-hauls throughout his career. He represented his team in 460 matches and bowled at a strike rate of 44.5. His career-best figures were 7/119 against New Zealand in 1994.
7. Stuart Broad
The English bowler lands on the 7th spot on this list of bowlers with the most wickets in International cricket. Broad snaffled 847 wickets in 344 matches (485 innings). The recently retired pacer took 604 Test wickets, 178 ODI wickets, and 15 T20I wickets in his 17-year career.
The right-arm fast bowler bowled at an economy of 3.45 with an overall average of 27.83. His shining career was illuminated with twenty-one 5-wicket-hauls and three 10-wicket-hauls. Broad bowled at a strike rate of 48.3 and contributed towards his team’s triumph on numerous occasions. His career-best figures were 8/15 against Australia in 2015.
8. Shaun Pollock
The former classy South African bowler took 829 wickets in 423 matches (510 innings). Shaun represented the South African Cricket Team from 1995 to 2008 and bowled at an impressive economy of 2.92. He snaffled 421 Test wickets, 393 ODI wickets, and 15 T20I wickets.
The fast bowler bowled at an average of 23.73 and has twenty-one 5-wicket-hauls to his name. Pollock helped his team to victory on several occasions. His most memorable spell was against Australia in 1998 where he picked up 7 wickets for only 87 runs.
9. Waqar Younis
The Pakistani legendary bowler picked up 789 wickets at a fair economy of 3.88. He participated in 349 matches and bowled consistently at an average of 23.70. Waqar’s wickets include 373 Test and 416 in the ODI format.
Known for his brisk pace, Waqar accumulated thirty-five 5-wicket-hauls and five 10-wicket-hauls in his 14-year career. His record includes being the sixth on the list of bowlers with the most consecutive 4-wickets in an innings. Younis’s 7/36 against England in 2001 is one of his most famous spells.
10. Chaminda Vaas
The Sri Lankan fast bowler concludes this list with 761 wickets in 520 innings. Vaas bowled at an economy of 3.30 and has sixteen 5-wicket-hauls to his name. He picked up 355 Test wickets, 400 ODI wickets, and 6 T20I wickets.
Known for his seam and swing, Chaminda bowled at an average of 28.44. The Sri Lankan superstar’s best performance was against Zimbabwe in 2001. He took 8 wickets off only 19 runs in that magical spell. Vaas is also 6th on the list for most wickets taken lbw (171). His splendid stats also include a strike rate of 51.7 and two 10-wicket-hauls.
Conclusion
Players from different teams made it to this list of bowlers with the most wickets in International Cricket. 2 out of 10 bowlers were from Sri Lanka, 2 from England, 2 from Pakistan, 2 from Australia, and 1 each from India and South Africa. 7 out of 10 listed players are fast bowlers, while 3 are spinners.
The only player still playing in International Cricket is James Anderson, the iconic English representative on the list. With his recent lethal and consistent performances, he is expected to climb up this list in the near future.
