Top 20 Fast Bowlers With Best Averages In ODIs

Our One Day International (ODI) ratings take into account all matches from the first ODI match on January 5, 1971 till the below mentioned last update date.To qualify for the rating, a player must have played at least 25 innings against the Top Teams (TT). TT may be found in the last section of the rating.

*Note: All ODI Ratings are updated till 2023-01-08

Best Averages

The first list simply gives you the bowlers with best averages in ODI Cricket. The second list gives you the bowlers with best Relative Averages (R Ave). How it is calculated is explained in the highlighted sections. Only bowlers with more than 100 wickets are considered for both lists.

TOP 20 ODI Pacers With Best Averages


RANK BOWLER NAT FP LP INNS RUNS WKTS AVE
1 J Garner WI 1977 1987 98 2752 146 18.85
2 DK Lillee AUS 1972 1983 63 2145 103 20.83
3 SE Bond NZ 2002 2010 80 3069 147 20.88
4 MA Holding WI 1976 1987 102 3034 142 21.37
5 RJ Hadlee NZ 1973 1990 112 3407 158 21.56
6 AA Donald SA 1991 2003 162 5926 272 21.79
7 GD McGrath AUS 1993 2007 248 8391 381 22.02
8 MA Starc AUS 2010 2022 107 4670 211 22.13
9 B Lee AUS 2000 2012 217 8877 380 23.36
10 Wasim Akram PAK 1984 2003 351 11812 502 23.53
11 Waqar Younis PAK 1989 2003 258 9919 416 23.84
12 C Pringle NZ 1990 1995 64 2458 103 23.86
13 Mustafizur Rahman BAN 2015 2022 81 3369 141 23.89
14 TA Boult NZ 2012 2022 99 4484 187 23.98
15 CEL Ambrose WI 1988 2000 175 5429 225 24.13
16 JJ Bumrah IND 2016 2022 72 2941 121 24.31
17 NW Bracken AUS 2001 2009 116 4240 174 24.37
18 A Flintoff ENG 1999 2009 119 4121 169 24.38
19 SM Pollock SA 1996 2008 297 9631 393 24.51
20 M Ntini SA 1998 2009 171 6559 266 24.66
C Ave

The Comparative Average (C Ave) for bowlers is calculated by taken into account two factors:-

  • First is the average of batsmen in the decades the bowler played.
  • Second is the average of the opposition batsmen at Home, in Asia or outside Asia; whichever is applicable.
  • The average of the opposing team’s batsmen is also calculated by decades.
  • Higher C Ave suggest that more runs were scored by the batsmen in the above mentioned factors.
  • Thus it was difficult to get Wkts and the bowler will benefit from this.
  • Lower C Ave means the opposite.
R Ave

The Relative Average (R Ave) is calculated using the C Ave. Its formula is (Bowler Ave/C Ave)*A Constant Factor. This constant doesn’t affect the rating as it is the same for everone. If your C Ave is comparatively high, your R Ave will be low; which is better for bowlers. Broadly speaking, the following bowlers will benefit from this system:-

  • Bowlers who have played more in unfavourable conditions.
  • Asian fast bowlers and Non-Asian spin bowlers whereever applicable.
  • Bowlers who have played in an era where the batsmen dominated, like the present era
  • Bowlers who have played more against top opposition than weaker teams.

TOP 20 ODI Pacers With Best R Ave


RANK BOWLER NAT FP LP INNS RUNS WKTS AVE R AVE
1 J Garner WI 1977 1987 98 2752 146 18.85 19.73
2 SE Bond NZ 2002 2010 80 3069 147 20.88 20.53
3 MA Starc AUS 2010 2022 107 4670 211 22.13 21.37
4 AA Donald SA 1991 2003 162 5926 272 21.79 21.72
5 GD McGrath AUS 1993 2007 248 8391 381 22.02 22.22
6 MA Holding WI 1976 1987 102 3034 142 21.37 22.25
7 JJ Bumrah IND 2016 2022 72 2941 121 24.31 22.33
8 Mustafizur Rahman BAN 2015 2022 81 3369 141 23.89 22.50
9 RJ Hadlee NZ 1973 1990 112 3407 158 21.56 22.81
10 Wasim Akram PAK 1984 2003 351 11812 502 23.53 22.98
11 DK Lillee AUS 1972 1983 63 2145 103 20.83 23.11
12 C Pringle NZ 1990 1995 64 2458 103 23.86 23.20
13 TA Boult NZ 2012 2022 99 4484 187 23.98 23.25
14 Waqar Younis PAK 1989 2003 258 9919 416 23.84 23.33
15 CEL Ambrose WI 1988 2000 175 5429 225 24.13 23.54
16 B Lee AUS 2000 2012 217 8877 380 23.36 23.82
17 Mohammed Shami IND 2013 2022 81 3910 152 25.72 24.26
18 JR Hazlewood AUS 2010 2022 68 2766 108 25.61 24.40
19 A Flintoff ENG 1999 2009 119 4121 169 24.38 24.47
20 DW Fleming AUS 1994 2001 88 3402 134 25.39 24.63

TOP TEAMS


DECADE OF MAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1970s WI ENG AUS NZ PAK
1980s WI ENG AUS PAK NZ IND SL
1990s SA AUS PAK WI IND ENG SL NZ
2000s AUS SA PAK SL IND NZ ENG WI
2010s IND SA AUS ENG NZ SL PAK BAN
2020s BAN PAK AUS NZ IND SA SL ENG


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