Top 10 bowlers with fastest 50 ODI wickets

Bowlers in cricket are classified into two categories apart from fasters and spinner in wicket takers and containers. The containers are those who desert the run flow and help in building pressure. But, the guys who actually do the most important task are the wicket takers. Every captain dreams of having wicket taking bowlers in his arsenal. Very few are lucky though to get these gems, so here we bring to you the ‘Top 10 bowlers with fastest 50 ODI wickets’

1. At the top of the top 10 bowlers with fastest 50 ODI wickets is A Mendis of Sri Lanka. He achieved this feat on 12 Jan, 2009 when he was playing his 19th ODI, in the match against Zimbabwe in Dhaka. He made his ODI debut on 10 April, 2008. How can anyone forget his spell V India in the 2008 Asia cup where he took 7 wickets conceding just 13 runs.

2. A Agarkar (India) is the second fastest bowler to take 50 ODI wickets. It took him just 23 ODI matches to achieve this. It was on 30th September 1998, where he got his 50th wicket while playing V the same opponent as Mendis, i.e. Zimbabwe in Harare.

3. The 3rd fastest bowler is none other than the legend himself, D Lillee of Australlia. It took him just one more match than Ajit Agarkar. 18 Dec, 1980 was the date when he was playing against India in Sydney and hunted his 50th ODI victim.

4. The legendary leg spinner from Australian Shane Warne is at number 4. He was playing V Sri Lanka in Colombo on 13 September, 1994, where he completed the first step of being a bowling legend. He got his 50th wicket in 25 matches. He was an inseparable part of the Australian team which dominated the world cricket for more than two decades. However, Indian fans will remember him as the bowler who got nightmares because of the master blaster, Sachin Tendulkar.

5. And once started, the Australians are not leaving a slot empty in the list. This shows why they are termed as MIGHTY. Well, the next up is yet another Australian, L Pascoe who took just 26 ODI matches to take his 50th wicket. He achieved this feat against another big team, the West Indies in Sydney.

6. Here is the first West Indian, B Patterson who took his 50th wicket V Pakistan in Port of Spain on 20 Mar 1988. He also took 26 matches to achieve this feat. Talking about West Indian cricket during his time, we need to mention that it was the golden era for them. They were the winners of first two World Cups, which speaks about their golden age. It was the Australians, who then, took away the title from them and dominated world cricket.

7. The new West Indian coach is the next to appear in this list. Curtly Ambrose, the brutal Caribbean also took 26 matches, where he completed this milestone. It was on 14 Oct, 1989 when he did this while playing V Pakistan in Sharjah. He made his debut in international cricket on 12 Mar 1988 and later developed to be one of the greatest bowlers in West Indian cricket history.

8. Wasim Akram Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis are the reasons why Pakistan is known to have the greatest bowling attacks in cricket. But the only one to appear in this list is the last name we wrote. Yes, it’s none other than Waqar Younis who took 27 matches to get his 50th ODI wicket. He was playing V West Indies in Karachi on 9 Nov 1990, while he completed this milestone.

9. The first Kiwi bowler to appear in this list in Shane Bond. This man was on the pinnacle of his form during the 2003 World Cup. Playing just his 27th ODI against Pakistan in Dambulla on 11 May 2003, he took 50 ODI wickets. He will remain as one of the greatest Kiwi bowler along with Tim Southee and Kyle Mills.

10. Last but not the least, to appear in this least is a South African. No, it’s not Dale Steyn no; it’s not even Morne Morkel. It’s Lonwabo Tsotsobe the new fast bowling heavy weight among the protease who achieved this feat while playing his 27th ODI v Sri Lanka in Kimberley on 20 Jan 2012. He made his ODI debut on 30 Jan 2009, but till now he is just an under-rated South African pacer.

Stats updated till 24th Oct 2014.