Who has taken the greatest number of wickets in the Cricket World Cup (ODI)? Here’s a quick preview: Glenn McGrath has taken the most ODI World Cup wickets (71). Both McGrath & Mitchell Starc have dominated World Cup bowling from every measure.
The World Cup is closer than it appears. Less than 30 days to go for the 2023 Cricket World Cup now, can you believe it?
So, let’s dive right in and find out all about the greatest World Cup wicket-takers.
ODI Cricket World Cup Wicket Takers – By the Numbers
- The top 5 wicket takers in the ODI Cricket World Cup (CWC) are Glenn McGrath (71), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), Lasith Malinga (56), Wasim Akram (55), and Mitchell Starc (49).
- From the Top 20 wicket-takers in the ODI CWC, nations most represented are as follows: Australia (5), New Zealand (4), Sri Lanka, Pakistan (3), South Africa, India (2), and Bangladesh (1). Surprisingly, the West Indies do not make the Top 30 in this list.
- Mitchell Starc has the best average (14.81), bowling strike rate (19.12), and most occurrences of 4 wickets or more (6: 3 – 4-fers, 3 – 5-fers). On the other end of the spectrum, Shakib Al Hasan has the worst average (35.94) and strike rates (42.14).
- The best figures from this group of 20 are Glenn McGrath (7/15), Tim Southee (7/33), Chaminda Vaas (6/25), Mitchell Starc (6/28), and Lasith Malinga (6/38). Note that Shane Bond also has World Cup figures of 6/23, but his overall wicket tally of 30 ranks him at #26 in this list.
- Mitchell Starc (49), Trent Boult (39), Tim Southee (34), and Shakib Al Hasan (34) are the only active players still in this list who are expected to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The ODI Cricket World Cup: Who Has Taken the Most Number of Wickets?
| Player | Wickets |
| Glenn McGrath | 71 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 68 |
| Lasith Malinga | 56 |
| Wasim Akram | 55 |
| Mitchell Starc* | 49 |
| Chaminda Vaas | 49 |
| Zaheer Khan | 44 |
| Javagal Srinath | 44 |
| Imran Tahir | 40 |
| Trent Boult* | 39 |
| Allan Donald | 38 |
| Jacob Oram | 36 |
| Daniel Vettori | 36 |
| Brett Lee | 35 |
| Wahab Riaz | 35 |
| Brad Hogg | 34 |
| Imran Khan | 34 |
| Shaun Tait | 34 |
| Tim Southee* | 34 |
| Shakib Al Hasan* | 34 |
*still playing (and may rise up the ranks)
Also Read: How Many Times Has Australia Won the Cricket World Cup? Complete List of Australia’s ICC Trophies—Under-19, World Cups, Gold Medals, Men, Women, T20I, ODI, WTC!, 17 South Africa World Cup Chokes and Heartbreaks: The Complete List (Men’s & Women’s Combined), Rethinking the ODI World Cup format, India vs Pakistan World Cup (The Ultimate Guide): Highest Run Scorer, Highest Wicket Taker, Records, and More!, All-Time XI Cricket – World Cup Edition
List of the Top 20 Highest Wicket Takers in the Cricket World Cup
1. Glenn McGrath (Australia), 71
Years Played: 1996-2007
- Matches/Innings: 39/39
- Best: 7/15
- 4-fers/5-fers: 0/2
- Average/Strike Rate: 18.19/27.53
- Economy: 3.96
2. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), 68
Years Played: 1996-2011
- Matches/Innings: 40/39
- Best: 4/19
- 4-fers/5-fers: 4/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 19.63/30.30
- Economy: 3.88
*Also spelled as Muralidaran
Embed from Getty Images3. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), 56
Years Played: 2007-2019
- Matches/Innings: 29/28
- Best: 6/38
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 22.87/24.89
- Economy: 5.51
Also Read: Lasith Malinga: The Slinga, Slayer, and SuperStar
Embed from Getty Images4. Wasim Akram (Pakistan), 55
Years Played: 1987-2003
- Matches/Innings: 38/36
- Best: 5/28
- 4-fers/5-fers: 49
- Average/Strike Rate: 23.83/35.40
- Economy: 4.04
5. Mitchell Starc* (Australia), 49
Years Played: 2015-2019
- Matches/Innings: 18/18
- Best: 6/28
- 4-fers/5-fers: 3/3
- Average/Strike Rate: 14.81/19.12
- Economy: 4.64
6. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), 49
Years Played: 1996-2007
- Matches/Innings: 31/31
- Best: 6/25
- 4-fers/5-fers: 1/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.22/32.04
- Economy: 3.97
7. Zaheer Khan (India), 44
Years Played: 2003-2011
- Matches/Innings: 23/23
- Best: 4/42
- 4-fers/5-fers: 1/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 20.22/27.11
- Economy: 4.47
8. Javagal Srinath (India), 44
Years Played: 1992-2003
- Matches/Innings: 34/33
- Best: 4/30
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 27.81/38.63
- Economy: 4.32
9. Imran Tahir (South Africa), 40
Years Played: 2011-2019
- Matches/Innings: 22/21
- Best: 40
- 4-fers/5-fers: 4/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.17/28.77
- Economy: 4.41
10. Trent Boult* (New Zealand), 39
Years Played: 2015-2019
- Matches/Innings: 19/19
- Best:5/27
- 4-fers/5-fers: 3/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.79/28.30
- Economy: 4.61
11. Allan Donald (South Africa), 38
Years Played: 1992-2003
- Matches/Innings: 25/25
- Best: 4/17
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 24.02/34.55
- Economy: 4.17
12. Jacob Oram (New Zealand), 36
Years Played: 2003-2011
- Matches/Innings: 23/23
- Best: 4/39
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.33/30.38
- Economy: 4.21
13. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), 36
Years Played: 2003-2015
- Matches/Innings: 32/31
- Best: 4/18
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.33/30.38
- Economy: 4.14
14. Brett Lee (Australia), 35
Years Played: 2003-2011
- Matches/Innings: 17/17
- Best: 5/42
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 17.97/23.57
- Economy: 4.57
15. Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), 35
Years Played: 2011-2019
- Matches/Innings: 20/20
- Best: 5/46
- 4-fers/5-fers: 1/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 26.45/28.57
- Economy: 5.55
16. Brad Hogg (Australia), 34
Years Played: 2003-2007
- Matches/Innings: 21/20
- Best: 4/27
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 19.23/27.97
- Economy: 4.12
17. Imran Khan (Pakistan), 34
Years Played: 1975-1992
- Matches/Innings: 28/19
- Best: 4/37
- 4-fers/5-fers: 2/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 19.26/29.91
- Economy: 3.86
18. Shaun Tait (Australia), 34
Years Played: 2007-2011
- Matches/Innings: 18/18
- Best: 4/39
- 4-fers/5-fers: 1/0
- Average/Strike Rate: 21.50/24.08
- Economy: 5.35
19. Tim Southee* (New Zealand), 34
Years Played: 2011-2019
- Matches/Innings: 18/18
- Best: 7/33
- 4-fers/5-fers: 0/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 25.11/28.64
- Economy: 5.26
20. Shakib Al Hasan* (Bangladesh), 34
Years Played: 2007-2019
- Matches/Innings: 29/29
- Best: 5/29
- 4-fers/5-fers: 1/1
- Average/Strike Rate: 35.94/42.14
- Economy: 5.11
Honorable Mentions: Shane Warne – 32, Chris Harris – 32, Mohammad Shami – 31, Anil Kumble – 31, Shaun Pollock – 31, Shane Bond – 30, Ian Botham – 30, Shoaib Akhtar – 30, and Shahid Afridi – 30.
Final Thoughts
Although these players have taken the greatest number of wickets in the Cricket World Cup, but more than the numbers, they have given us plenty of memories to remember them by.
Think Wahab Riaz vs Watson, Chaminda Vaas’s hat-trick, Boult vs Starc at Eden Park, Wasim Akram in the final, that Shane Bond spell, Imran Tahir’s celebrations, and much more.
I will leave you with this question for the 2023 ODI World Cup is, “Can Mitchell Starc break the World Cup record for the most wickets?” Comment below!
Related Cricket Content
Check out our entire library of 2023 ODI World Cup content here. Here is a brief snippet.
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The top 5 wicket takers in the ODI Cricket World Cup (CWC) are Glenn McGrath (71), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), Lasith Malinga (56), Wasim Akram (55), and Mitchell Starc (49).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Most Number of Wickets in the Cricket World Cup
Glenn McGrath (71), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), Lasith Malinga (56), Wasim Akram (55), and Mitchell Starc (49) have taken the most number of wickets in the Cricket World Cup.
Mitchell Starc has taken 49 ODI World Cup wickets from just 18 matches. He boasts an absurd bowling average of 14.18 & strike rate of 19.12. He has taken 4-wickets thrice and 5-wickets thrice as well.
Yes he can. If he is fit and plays in all the games on India’s pitches, then he can take 23 wickets to break Glenn McGrath’s record of 71 wickets. In case Australia reaches the final, he may have as many as 11 matches to break the World record (otherwise, he can play a maximum of 9 matches in the group stage).
© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 08/13/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
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