10 Greatest ODI cricketers of all-time

3. Wasim Akram

A young, tall fast bowler with a pale physic partnered the immortal Imran Khan in the fast bowling department for Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup and finished with the most wickets that tournament. As Pakistan went to lift the coveted trophy for the first time in their history, Wasim Akram started to become an icon in the country.

His career though will be fondly remembered for his strike-partnership with Waqar Younis, a duo which instilled fear in the batsmen even before the game started. Akram was the canniest of operators, who could execute any of his plans with surgical precision. For all his services to the format, it was fitting that he became the first cricketer to pick 500 wickets in ODIs.

When Wisden released its only list of best players of all time, the left-arm bowler was rated as the greatest ODI bowler of all time ahead of Alan Donald, Waqar Younis and others. He had his own set of struggles in personal life and with diabetes, but he always fought like a warrior and that’s what makes him one of the most celebrated cricketers of the game.

Career Statistics

Matches – 356 | Wickets – 502 | Bowling average – 23.52 | Best bowling figures – 5/15 | Five-wicket hauls – 6 | Runs scored – 3,717