ODI cricket has its own charm, with a blend of Test and T20I formats. Unlike the 20-over format, the bowlers get a slight relief from the batter’s ruthless onslaught.
Despite that, the bowlers look to get away by leaking fewer runs during their spell. If they are successful in picking up wickets by conceding fewer runs, they have a chance of improving their bowling averages.
Having said that, let’s look at the top 10 bowlers with the best bowling average in ODIs.
Best Bowling Average in ODI Cricket
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Bowling Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Garner | West Indies | 98 | 2752 | 146 | 18.84 |
| Bernard Scholtz | Namibia | 64 | 1889 | 100 | 18.89 |
| Ryan Harris | Australia | 20 | 832 | 44 | 18.90 |
| Tony Gray | West Indies | 24 | 835 | 44 | 18.97 |
| Mike Hendrick | England | 22 | 681 | 35 | 19.45 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 109 | 4127 | 210 | 19.65 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | Nepal | 64 | 2691 | 125 | 19.93 |
| Len Pascoe | Australia | 28 | 1066 | 53 | 20.11 |
| Andy Roberts | West Indies | 56 | 1771 | 87 | 20.35 |
| Colin Croft | West Indies | 19 | 620 | 30 | 20.66 |
| Dennis Lillee | Australia | 63 | 2145 | 103 | 20.82 |
| Shane Bond | New Zealand | 80 | 3070 | 147 | 20.88 |
| Tony Dodemaide | Australia | 24 | 753 | 36 | 20.91 |
| Bilal Khan | Oman | 49 | 2118 | 101 | 20.97 |
(If you don’t know how to calculate the bowling average, then check out our guide here.)
Key Insights on the Lowest Bowling Averages in ODI Cricket
All-Time ODI Bowling Average Records
West Indies’ Joel Garner has the lowest bowling average in ODI cricket, having taken a wicket after every 18.84 runs. He claimed 146 wickets in 98 innings.
Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz and Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane are the only two associate bowlers to average below 20 in ODIs.
Zimbabwe’s Pommie Mbangwa, the famous commentator, has the worst bowling average in ODIs. He took 11 wickets at an average of 103.63 in 29 innings.
Wasim Akram has the lowest bowling average as a captain in ODIs. He claimed 158 wickets at 22.63 while leading Pakistan in 109 matches.
Rashid Khan has recorded the best bowling average in a calendar year in ODIs. He averaged 14.45 while taking 48 wickets in 20 innings in 2018.
Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, the best bowling pair in ODIs, picked up 708 wickets at an average of 24.44 while bowling in tandem.
Venue, Opponent and Condition-Specific ODI Bowling Average Stats
Len Pascoe averaged 17.95 while taking 43 wickets in 21 innings in Australia. This is the best bowling average by a bowler at home in ODIs.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Michael Holding (West Indies) are the two bowlers to average under 20 in away ODIs.
Australia’s Dennis Lillee has recorded the lowest bowling average at a single venue in ODIs. He took 42 wickets at 14.09 in 21 innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan is the only bowler to average below 15 in a single country in ODIs, doing so in the UAE.
Rashid Khan and Muttiah Muralitharan are the two bowlers to average under 15 against an opponent in ODIs, with both achieving it against Zimbabwe.
Best Bowling Average in the ODI World Cup
Australia’s Glenn McGrath has the best bowling average in the ODI World Cup. He took 71 wickets at 18.19 in 39 innings.
Read Next | Most Consecutive 5 & 10-Wicket hauls in Test Cricket
