Fast bowlers play a substantial role in helping the team take crucial wickets early in the game. By doing so, the batting team gets under surreal pressure. On top of that, the bowling team would also have a great chance to tilt the game towards their favour.
One of the most common tactics for fast bowlers is to target the stumps. The cricket fraternity has witnessed fast bowlers making a complete mess of the batters’ stumps. Let’s have a look at the five fast bowlers with the most bowled wickets in international cricket.
1. Wasim Akram
Pakistan’s bowling great Wasim Akram comes first on the list with the most ‘bowled wickets’ in the history of international cricket. Wasim Akram has accounted for 278 dismissals as ‘bowled’ in his cricketing career, the most by any paceman. He took 414 wickets in Tests and 502 wickets in ODIs.
2. Waqar Younis
Pakistan’s bowling great Waqar Younis comes second on the list with 253 ‘bowled wickets’ in international cricket. He was one of the vital cogs of Pakistan’s bowling set-up. Waqar Younis has taken as many as 373 wickets in the longest format of the game. On the other hand, he has bagged as many as 416 wickets in One-Day Internationals.
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3. James Anderson
England’s bowling great James Anderson is widely acknowledged as the greatest fast bowler of all time. He is the leading wicket-taking paceman in Tests with 688 wickets. On the other hand, he targeted stumps and yielded positive results wherein he took 196 wickets as ‘bowled’. He has taken 269 wickets in ODIs and 18 wickets in T20Is.
4. Mitchell Starc
Australian paceman Mitchell Starc has been one of the vital cogs of the national set-up across all three formats of the game. Starc comes fourth on the list with 192 wickets as ‘bowled’ in international cricket.
5. Lasith Malinga
Sri Lanka’s bowling great Lasith Malinga is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest limited-overs bowlers of all time. He operated as a specialist death bowler and kept the batters in check in clutch situations. He has taken 171 wickets as ‘bowled’ in international cricket.
Most bowled Wickets by Pacers
278 – Wasim Akram
253 – Waqar Younis
196 – James Anderson
192 – Mitchell Starc*
171 – Lasith Malinga#TheAshes | #MitchellStarc— Cricbaba (@thecricbaba) July 2, 2023
Updated as of July 3, 2023*
