Taking a fifer in ODI cricket is never an easy task. It differs from effecting the same in Test cricket, where the bowlers have ample time to claim their wickets. However, former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis made it a habit to take 5-wicket-haul consistently in ODIs.
Picking wickets in bulk in One Day Internationals (ODIs) is an art that very few bowlers have been able to master. It’s all about picking wickets of opposition batters and creating pressure on them as a bowling team.
Usually, in the 50-over format, batting teams use the powerplay overs, then get to the safe-mode for the next 25-30 overs to keep wickets in hand for the final overs.
Your leading bowler is expected to give wickets in bulk, like 3-5 wickets in a single match. However, regular wickets can completely spoil the batting strategy of the opposition team. It can completely shift the momentum towards the bowling team.
In the history of ODI cricket, we have seen several furious bowling spells where bowlers have run over the batting team with their lethal and consistent bowling.
This article will examine the top 10 bowlers who have taken the most 5 wicket-hauls in ODI cricket.
Most 5-Wicket Hauls in ODI
| Player | Innings | 5-Wicket Hauls |
|---|---|---|
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | 258 | 13 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 341 | 10 |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 121 | 9 |
| Brett Lee (AUS) | 217 | 9 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 372 | 9 |
| Lasith Malinga (SL) | 220 | 8 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 248 | 7 |
| Trent Boult (NZ) | 113 | 6 |
| Lance Klusener (SA) | 164 | 6 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK) | 165 | 6 |
Stats Insights
Waqar Younis holds the record for the most 5-wicket-hauls in the history of ODI cricket – 13 in 258 innings. Waqar also has taken 14 four-wicket hauls. The Pakistani speedster was famous for his reverse swing bowling, which puzzled the opposition team batsman. Below is a gem of Waqar Younis’s 6-wickets spell against New Zealand.
Among the spinners, Muttiah Muralidharan has the most five-wicket hauls. Muralidharan has taken 10 five-wicket-hauls in his ODI career. The veteran Sri Lankan spinner has the prestigious record for most wickets in the history of ODI cricket. Muralitharan also tops the same chart in Tests.
Mitchell Starc has grabbed 9 five-wicket hauls in 121 innings, the best in terms of frequency of five-wicket-hauls in ODI cricket among all bowlers. Starc is famous for his express pace bowling and ability to take wickets in bunches.
Undoubtedly, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has the best bowling strike rate among all bowlers in the Top 10 list of most five wickets haul. Saqlain Mushtaq has the best bowling average (21.78) among all bowlers on the list. While Glen McGrath has the best economy rate (3.9). Find out how to calculate all these bowling metrics in cricket here.
Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult have great chances to break this record of Waqar Younis of most five wickets haul in ODI cricket.
There is no Indian bowler on this list. The list is dominated by Pakistani bowlers, which shows their rich history in bowling in ODIs.
