For any player, being dismissed without scoring any runs is the worst possible dismissal simply because they couldn’t contribute any runs to the team’s scoreboard. As one can expect, the list of cricketers who have scored the most ducks in Test history mainly features the lower order batsmen or the ‘tail-enders’ who are mainly in the side for their bowling abilities.
In this article, we’ve put together a list of players who have been dismissed without scoring on most occasions and thus have scored the most ducks in Test cricket.
Thus with 43 ducks in his Test career, Courtney Walsh tops the list of batsmen with the most ducks in Test cricket history.
StuartStuart Broad (England) – 38 Ducks
the most proficient bowlers that England has ever produced in Test cricket, Stuart Broad’s weakness against the short ball is something that is well known in the cricketing world. Thus, whenever Broad comes out to bat, he is peppered with short pitch bowling due to which he is ultimately dismissed. Since his Test cricket debut back in 2007, Broad has played a total of 149 matches and has scored a decent total of 3370 runs. However, having scored 38 ducks in the process of accumulating these runs, Broad becomes the batsman with the second most ducks in the history of Test cricket.
Chris MaChris Martin (New Zealand) – 36 Ducks
rtin of New Zealand is third on the list of batsmen who have scored the most ducks in the history of Test cricket. Having played 71 matches across his career from 2000 to 2013, Chris Martin managed to score just 123 runs and was dismissed without scoring on 36 different occasions.
Glenn McGlenn McGrath (Australia) – 35 Ducks
the formidable Australian team that dominated international cricket from the 1990s to the early 2000s, Australian swing-bowler Glenn McGrath was one of the best swing bowlers to have played the game. His batting skills however were not as good as his bowling as in the 124 matches that McGrath played, he managed to score a total of just 641 runs. His 35 ducks make him feature in fourth on the list of players with the most ducks in Test history.
Shane WaShane Warne (Australia) – 34 Duck
smen faced Australia during the 1990s to early 2000s, there was no respite for them as once McGrath and Brett Lee came off the attack, Shane Warne, Australia’s greatest leg-spinner was brought on to bowl. During his career that spanned from 1992 to 2007, Warne played a total of 145 matches in which he went on to score a total of 3154 runs. However, with 34 ducks to his name, Warne features alongside his teammate on the list of batsmen with the most ducks.
Ishant ShaIshant Sharma (India) – 33 Ducks
e bowler Ishant Sharma broke on to the international scene when he bowled an unplayable spell to former Australian captain Ricky Ponting for which he received a lot of praise. Despite all the success that Sharma has had with the ball, his batting records have been dismal. In the 102 matches that Sharma has played for India, he has managed to score a total of just 751 runs at an average close to 7.5. During this period, Sharma has been dismissed on 33 occasions without scoring and thus features fifth on the list of batsmen with the most ducks in Test cricket.
Muttiah MuMuttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 33 Ducks
Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan also features on the list of the batsmen with the most ducks in Test cricket history. Having bamboozled a plethora of batsmen over the years with his spin, Muralitharan was not known for his batting ability which reflects on his poor batting record. The bowler with the most Test wickets in Test history played a total of 133 matches between 1992 and 2010 during which he went on to score a total of just 1261 runs. On 33 occasions, Muralitharan was dismissed by the opposition without scoring.
Zaheer KhaZaheer Khan (India) – 29 Ducks
t-arm pacer Zaheer Khan also features on this list of batsmen who have scored the most ducks in the history of Test cricket. During his career that lasted from 2000 to 2014, Zaheer Khan played a total of 1231 runs at an average close to 13 and was dismissed on 29 occasions without scoring any runs.
James AndeJames Anderson (England) – 28 Ducks
Stuart Broad, English bowler James Anderson is widely regarded as the most proficient bowler to have ever played the game. Having recently surpassed Glenn McGrath to become the leading wicket-taker pacer, Anderson’s batting record is the polar opposite of what his bowling record is. Having played over 163 Test matches for England, Anderson has scored a total of just 1246 runs and has been dismissed 28 times without scoring a single run.
