Best Bowling Average in ODI

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

Note: Bowlers who’ve bowled a minimum of 1000 balls are considered.

(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.

Saurabh Chede

Saurabh is a cricket enthusiast who crafts content around the sport. Being from a cricket-crazy nation, he developed an unbreakable bond with the sport. When he's not watching cricket, you'll find him creating funny memes or watching old TMKOC episodes!