10 Greatest ODI cricketers of all-time

6. Muttiah Muralitharan

“The Wizard” without a wand, the king without a crown – Muttiah Muralitharan easily qualifies as one of the greatest sportspersons of all time. He made his mark in the 1996 World Cup and Arjuna Ranatunga’s trust on a young spinner from Kandy paid off as he finished with seven wickets at an economy less than 4.

Despite all the controversies raging around his action, Murali never uttered a word and kept bouncing back vehemently. He was one of the first bowlers to have excelled equally well in both the formats and his wickets tally is a testament to that fact. When he retired in 2011, the offie finished with 534 wickets in the format and has stood at the helm ever since.

Muralitharan’s contribution was beyond the wickets he took, he was a masterful brain who was always at the aid of the young budding captains. One of the game’s greatest ambassadors, he is continuing to serve the sport as a mentor for various teams and success has been following him wherever he goes.

Career statistics

Matches – 350 | Wickets taken – 534 | Bowling average – 23.08 | Five-wicket hauls – 10 | Best bowling figures – 7/30