Top 10 Bowlers fastest to 100 wickets in ODIs

Top 10 Bowlers fastest to 100 wickets in ODIs: There’s a saying in Cricket that “It’s the bowlers who win you matches”. Talking about the shorter format of Cricket, you need to bowl well, take those ten wickets on offer or at the least very least, restrict the run scoring, if you are going to have any chance to win the game on a given day. So, here, we bring to you the Top 10 Bowlers fastest to 100 wickets in ODIs: 10. Shane Warne – 60 Matches: Sachin Tendulkar has more 5-fers in ODIs than Shane Warne. (Photo Source: AFP) The best spinner of all time; another bowler who had to be on this list; it also took the Australian 60 games to pick up 100 wickets in ODIs. The ferocious Australian is one of the two spinners who managed to make it to this list. It’s worthwhile to note that, unlike other sub-continent spinners, Warne played most of his games on tracks that weren’t exactly suited or tailored-made for spinners. That ought to give you some indication about his quality! 9. Dennis Lillee – 60 Matches: Denis Lillee. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Another Australian, another legend of the game, but unlike Warne, Lillee was a fast bowler and that too one of the most ferocious one ever. It also took 60 games for Lillee to reach the milestone, but unlike other bowlers on this list, Lillee had to wait for almost 11 years to snatch up 100 victims. ODIs, in those times, weren’t so common, but that doesn’t lessen his achievement a bit as he was probably one of the best fast bowlers ever to grace the Cricket pitch. 8. Morne Morkel – 59 Matches: Morne Morkel. (© Getty Images) The South African is the only bowler on this list who is still playing the game. The 30-year-old lanky pacer probably hasn’t got the accolades he deserves, as he has spent most of his time under the shadow of the great Dale Steyn. With his height and athletic build, Morne can comfortably strike up 150kph and can generate bounce on deadest of pitches. The regular member of the South African side, Morne could well become a legend of the game. 7. Irfan Pathan – 59 Matches: Irfan Pathan. (Photo Source: Associated Press) Before Irfan Pathan destroyed himself rather unfortunately, the Indian medium pacer used to be a fast bowler, capable of bowling above 140kph consistently while swinging the ball both ways. Supposed to be the savior of our fast bowling, things didn’t turn out as expected for Greg Chappell’s favorite prodigy for various reasons. Still, Irfan Pathan managed to make this list at no. 5 position; thanks to his early day, “fast bowling” exploits. As an Indian, I still wonder how things would have been if Irfan Pathan had lived up to the expectations. 6. Waqar Younis – 59 Matches: Waqar Younis – Sanath Jayasuriya. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Another Pakistani, quite possibly the king of reverse swing and also quite possibly the best death bowler, Waqar Younis enters this list at no.4. The king of in-swinging Yorkers (he could ball that all day long!) Waqar’s partnership with Wasim Akram was amongst the most dangerous of all time. It took 59 matches for Waqar to scalp 100 wickets and, although Wasim Akram doesn’t make this list, even Waqar will acknowledge the fact that he wouldn’t have reached so many milestones without the help of the classy left armer on the other side. 5. Imran Tahir – 58 Matches: South African bowler Imran Tahir celebrates after dismissing West Indies cricketer Sulieman Benn. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir grabbed his 100th ODI wicket in the tri-series game against hosts West Indies. Tahir needed a couple of wickets coming into the match and by the end of his spell had 105 wickets in his name after 58 matches. He bowled a superb spell and returned with figures of 9-0-45-7 the best bowling numbers of his career. With that he also became the fastest South African bowlers to scalp 100 wickets in ODIs. 4. Brett Lee – 55 Matches: Brett Lee. (© Getty Images) If it weren’t for Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee would unarguably be the “king of speed” of our generation. But, the fact that, Lee was equally brutal in Test matches and managed to play a lot more game than Shoaib, due to his superior fitness, does say something about the bowler. Honestly, you wouldn’t see many bowlers as consistent with their line and lengths as Lee when they bowl at such a high pace. It took the famous Australian just 55 matches to send off 100 players into the pavilion. And remember that pumping celebration after taking a wicket? Oh, that was gold! 3. Shane Bond – 54 Matches: Shane Bond. (Photo Source: Getty Images ) Finally, a Kiwi enters the list, that too at the 3rd position. I would go as far as saying that New-Zealand speedster, Shane Bond could have been one of the best bowlers, if it wasn’t for the constant injuries he suffered throughout his career. His 6-23 against Australia in the 2003 World Cup was one of the best spells of fast bowling you will ever see. But, then again, injuries are a part of fast bowler’s life, and Shane couldn’t fully express his potential due to that. Nevertheless, he is second on our list that includes the Legends of Cricket, and that is a big achievement in itself. 2. Saqlain Mushtaq – 53 Matches: SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Did you guess it right? Saqlain Mushtaq, the most deserved candidate on this list, and he occupies the no.2 position. The inventor of Doosra, Saqlain Mushtaq was probably the first spinner in the world, who would bowl in the death overs in the shorter format of the game. It might be a common phenomenon now, but a decade ago, death overs were meant to be bowled by fast bowlers; Saqlain was the one to change that perception. A brilliant bowler with an equally brilliant control on his bowling, Saqlain depended on the art of one-upping the batsman with his flight, change of pace and of course, the mysterious Doosra. A legend of the game indeed! 1. Mitchell Starc – 52 Matches: Mitchell Starc(Photo Source:AFP) Mitchell Starc picked up his 100th wicket in his 52nd ODI match against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. What was impressive was the cloud that was surrounding Starc’s predicament of bowling after just having recovered from a stress fracture in his foot. However, the fact that he came back so strongly as he did was something simply phenomenal. His penultimate wicket came in the same match as well when he removed Kusal Perera with a wonderful inswinger that uprooted the stumps of the Lankan opener. His 100th scalp was Dhananjaya de Silva. Also Read – 12 Cricketers caught in the act – The embarrassing moments (All stats updated till 21st August 2016)