Economical bowlers are an asset in ODIs as they can restrict the scoring rate and reduce the total. To bowl a maiden over, you need to deliver the ball in the right areas and maintain a good line and length. This article looks at the bowlers with the most maiden overs bowled in ODI cricket. The list includes some of the top bowlers of all time in the format.
Contents
- Bowlers with the Most Maiden Overs in ODIs
- 1. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 313 Maiden Overs
- 2. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 279 Maiden Overs
- 3. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 279 Maiden Overs
- 4. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 237 Maiden Overs
- 5. Kapil Dev (India) – 235 Maiden Overs
- 6. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 198 Maiden Overs
- 7. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 192 Maiden Overs
- 8. Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – 185 Maiden Overs
- 9. Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 185 Maiden Overs
- 10. Ewen Chatfield (New Zealand) – 155 Maiden Overs
- In Conclusion
Bowlers with the Most Maiden Overs in ODIs
| COUN TRY |
BOWLER | MAIDENS |
| South Africa (1996-2008) | Shaun Pollock | 313 |
| Australia (1993-2007) | Glenn McGrath | 279 |
| Sri Lanka (1994-2008) | Chaminda Vaas | 279 |
| Pakistan (1984-2003) | Wasim Akram | 237 |
| India (1978-1994) | Kapil Dev | 235 |
| Sri Lanka (1993-2011) | Muttiah Muralitharan | 198 |
| West Indies (1988-2000) | Curtly Ambrose | 192 |
| New Zealand (1973-1990) | Richard Hadlee | 185 |
| West Indies (1985-2000) | Courtney Walsh | 185 |
| New Zealand (1979-1989) | Ewen Chatfield | 155 |
1. Shaun Pollock1. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 313 Maiden Overs
teas all-rounder Shaun Pollock leads the pack with 313 maiden overs in 303 ODIs. In total, he bagged 393 ODI wickets at a 24.50 average, a 3.67 economy rate and a 39.9 strike rate with 5 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 6/35.
Shaun Pollock had a cricketing background as his father, Peter, and uncle, Graeme, were notable cricketers for South Africa. Like Richard Hadlee of New Zealand, Shaun bowled an immaculate line and length. His economy rate in ODIs was an astonishingly low 3.67.
2. Glenn McGrath (2. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 279 Maiden Overs
owled 279 maiden overs in 250 ODIs. He grabbed 381 wickets in ODIs at a 22.02 average, a 3.88 economy rate and a 34.0 strike rate with 7 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 7/15.
McGrath stuck to a disciplined line and length on or around the off stump and moved the ball subtly both ways. This helped him not only to restrict batsmen but claim their wickets too. In addition, McGrath excelled in Tests and snared 563 scalps in the longer format. His best ODI figures of 7/15 came against Namibia in the 2003 ODI World Cup. In the 2007 ODI World Cup, he bagged an amazing 26 wickets.
3. Chaminda Vaas (Sr3. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 279 Maiden Overs
bowled 279 maiden overs in 322 ODIs. He bagged 400 ODI wickets at a 27.53 average, a 4.18 economy rate and a 39.4 strike rate with 4 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 8/19.
Vaas has been undoubtedly the best pace bowler produced by Sri Lanka so far. He excelled in Tests too, bagging 355 wickets. Vaas deployed plenty of effective deliveries including indippers, disguised off-cutters and reverse swinging balls to trouble the best batters. He wathe fourth bowler to take 400 wickets in ODIs.
4. Wasim Akram (Pakist4. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 237 Maiden Overs
rong>237 maiden overs in 356 ODIs. Overall, he claimed 502 ODI wickets at a 23.52 average, a 3.89 economy rate and a 36.2 strike rate with 6 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 5/15.
Akram was also handy with the bat and clobbered 3,717 runs in ODIs at an 88.33 strike rate with 6 fifties. In Tests, Akram took 414 wickets with 25 five-fors and 5 10-wicket game hauls. These achievements mean Akram could well be the best left-arm fast bowler in the history of cricket.
5. Kapil Dev (India) – 25. Kapil Dev (India) – 235 Maiden Overs
href="https://www.cric-life.com/article/kapil-dev-vs-imran-khan-stats-and-records/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kapil Dev bowled 235 maiden overs in 225 ODIs. He grabbed a total of 253 ODI wickets at a 27.45 average, a 3.71 economy rate and a 44.2 strike rate with 1 five-for. His best ODI figures are 5/43.
Kapil’s hitting abilities were also amazing and he scored 3,783 runs in ODIs at a 95.07 strike rate with 1 hundred and 14 fifties. In Tests, Kapil claimed 434 wickets with 23 five-fors and 2 10-wicket match hauls. His hour of glory came in the 1983 ODI World Cup when he led from the front and skippered India to a gloriously surprising title triumph.
6. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri L6. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 198 Maiden Overs
ran of Sri Lanka bowled 198 maiden overs in 350 ODIs. He snared 534 ODI scalps at a 23.08 average, a 3.93 economy rate and a 35.2 strike rate with 10 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 7/30.
Demon off-spinner Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in Tests with exactly 800 scalps at a 22.72 average with a whopping 67 five-fors and 22 10-wicket game hauls. His best Test figures are 9/51. Despite controversy about his bowling action, these figures indicate that Muralitharan is probably the best bowler in the history of cricket.
7. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) 7. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 192 Maiden Overs
g>192 maiden overs in 176 ODIs. He claimed 225 ODI wickets at a 24.12 average, a 3.48 economy rate and a 41.5 strike rate with 4 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 5/17.
Laconic fast bowler Ambrose was also a handful in Tests, snaring 405 wickets at a 20.99 average with 22 five-fors and 3 10-wicket game hauls. His finest hour was probably a spell of 7 wickets for 1 run against Australia in Perth in 1992-93.
8. Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – 8. Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – 185 Maiden Overs
185 maiden overs in just 115 ODIs. He claimed a total of 158 ODI wickets at a 21.56 average, a 3.30 economy rate and a 39.1 strike rate with 5 five-fors. His best ODI figures are 5/25.
Hadlee also had a glorious Test career, snaring 431 scalps at a 22.29 average with 36 five-fors and 9 10-wicket game hauls. He single-handedly bowled New Zealand to many wins and was the first bowler to take 400 Test wickets.
9. Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 185 9. Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 185 Maiden Overs
Walsh bowled 185 maiden overs in 205 ODIs. He took a total of 227 ODI wickets at a 30.47 average, a 3.83 economy rate and a 47.6 strike rate with 1 five-for. His best ODI figures are 5/1.
Walsh also had a remarkable Test career, grabbing 519 wickets at a 24.44 average with 22 five-fors and 3 10-wicket game hauls. He formed a great fast-bowling partnership with Curtly Ambrose and together they took 421 wickets in 49 Tests.
10. Ewen Chatfield (New Zealand) – 155 Mai10. Ewen Chatfield (New Zealand) – 155 Maiden Overs
strong>155 maiden overs in 114 ODIs. He grabbed a total of 140 ODI wickets at a 25.84 average, a 3.57 economy rate and a 43.3 strike rate with 1 five-for. His best ODI figures are 5/34.
Chatfield also bagged 123 wickets in 43 tests at a 32.17 average with 3 five-fors and 1 10-wicket game haul. His best Test figures are 6/73.
In Conclusion
That concludes our list