Sportskeeda's ODI Bowler of the Year 2015 - counting down from No. 10 to No. 1

The last 12 months have witnessed several great performances, especially by the New Zealand team who came as close to winning the coveted World Cup as they had ever been, ending up second-best to Australia in the final.Among the less acknowledged teams, Bangladesh can pride themselves for their efforts while Afghanistan’s decent displays have catapulted them to No. 10 in the latest ICC ODI rankings for the first time ever.While it has largely been a batsman’s year, as is evident from the number of batsmen scoring in excess of 1000 runs, a few bowlers have also proved their mettle – some with stunning efforts in patches, others with consistent performances in the middle.This article recognizes those who outshone their peers and created quite an impact in their team’s fortunes, culminating in the crowning of Sportskeeda's ODI Bowler of the Year 2015.

#10 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin was India’s most impressive bowler in 2015

Matches – 13, Wickets – 21, Average – 24.57

The numbers here may seem hardly impressive in comparison to his performances in the longest format of the game this year, but Ravichandran Ashwin has been the bulwark of Indian bowling line-up in the ICC World Cup as well as in Bangladesh.

In fact, his 4/25 against UAE at Perth in a pool match during the tournament also remains his best effort in his 100-match long ODI career. He was the wrecker-in-chief during the previous match as well, tearing down the South African lower middle order and guiding his team to a massive 130-run victory.

The off-spinner fared decently against Bangladesh in the bilateral series, picking up 6 wickets, but it was his ability to choke the batsmen from one end that merited appreciation. An economy of 4.27 at the end of the year only emphasizes that fact.

#9 Kagiso Rabada

Rabada announced himself in style

Matches – 10, Wickets – 21, Average – 20.23

Precisely one and a half months after his twentieth birthday, Johannesburg-born Kagiso Rabada received his debut cap for South Africa during the Dhaka ODI against Bangladesh. Fast and accurate, Rabada made headlines for his ability to consistently clock 140 kmph.

With Dale Steyn nearing the twilight of his career, South Africa’s hurry to blood Rabada was understandable. And he didn’t disappoint either. 21 wickets from only 10 matches at a miserly 4.87 runs per over are extraordinary figures for a fast bowler in his debut year.

Besides the celebrated 6/16 on his debut against Bangladesh, his four-wicket haul came against India in the final ODI of the series that rewarded him with as many as 10 wickets. With such convincing numbers, it is quite clear why he is our surprise pick in this list.

#8 Tim Southee

Southee provided the perfect foil for Boult

Matches – 18, Wickets – 28, Average – 31.60

Had it not been for his vulnerability towards injuries, Tim Southee would have been a far more successful bowler for New Zealand than he is right now. Consistent and hard-working, Southee is a workhorse in the Kiwi bowling unit who has been contributing regularly for the team ever since his debut in 2008.

Having conceded 255 runs more than Morne Morkel who has an equal number of wickets, Southee’s average of 31.60 is as unflattering as his economy of almost 6 runs per over. These figures, however, do not take into account the quality of support he has lent from one end with Boult running riot at the other and the impact he has had on the team’s fortunes.

In the group match against England during the World Cup, the right-arm swing bowler single-handedly demolished the opposition with 7 wickets for 33 runs – the best figures by a New Zealand bowler in a World Cup match. His demolition meant England were bowled out for a paltry 123 that the Kiwis surpassed in just 12.2 overs.

#7 Steven Finn

Finn had a fantastic comeback year

Matches – 18, Wickets – 31, Average – 27.67

At 6’7”, Steven Finn’s height poses a reasonable threat to the batsmen not because of the variable bounce but because of the accompanying speed of the delivery. However, instead of being as regularly successful as someone with his gift could have been, Finn turned out to be a bowler feeding on confidence with a tendency of delivering dull spells sometimes.

2015 began on a good note for the medium-pacer with 5/33 against India at Brisbane. The next match against MS Dhoni’s men yielded 3 more for 36 runs. Come the World Cup, Finn rode on self-confidence and returned with his second five-wicket haul of the year in the first match against Australia. He picked up 3/26 against Scotland before playing just one more witcketless match against Sri Lanka.

Finn braced ordinariness after a solitary good display against the Kiwis in June and is going to end the year with 31 scalps from 18 innings at an average of 27.67.

#6 Wahab Riaz

Riaz was Pakistan’s sole shining light in the World Cup

Matches – 20, Wickets – 32, Average – 27.43

Although Wahab Riaz has everything to succeed in limited overs cricket, he somehow hasn’t. He has displayed glimpses of his potential on occasions but has mostly been inconspicuous in the team. Not surprisingly, even 2015 turned out to be as inconsistent as the rest of his career, only marginally better in terms of quality in those sporadic performances.

After an average 2014, the left-arm seamer became a star performer for Pakistan, leading his team with commendable performances in the ICC World Cup. He took 16 wickets in 7 matches including a four-wicket haul against Zimbabwe.

He followed up his World Cup feat with an inspiring 4/59 versus Bangladesh on April 17 before going wicketless in the next two matches. Riaz failed to deliver the goods for the major fraction of the second half of the year, but when he did, he pulled off figures like 4/63 (against Zimbabwe) and 3/43 (against England).

With 32 scalps at 27.43 each, he is the fourth highest wicket-taker in ODIs this year.

#5 Morne Morkel

Morkel was both economical and effective

Matches – 16, Wickets – 28, Average – 22.50

At 31, one would assume Morne Morkel would be slower and less incisive, but the tall, lanky pacer is obviously showing no signs of slowing down. With 28 wickets – two less than fellow South African Dale Steyn who has bowled exactly 30 more overs – from 16 matches at an average of 22.50, Morkel’s hunger for success is far from over.

His genuine pace and ability to extract bounce continued to serve him well, for his economy this year stands at no more than 4.69 per over. In the recently concluded series against India, the right-arm bowler played only 3 ODIs and returned with the best of 4/39 at Rajkot, which also happens to be his best figures in the entire year.

#4 Imran Tahir

Tahir was SA’s most successful ODI bowler in 2015

Matches – 22, Wickets – 37, Average – 25.18

That Imran Tahir is fourth in the list of top ten ODI bowlers with most wickets in 2015 stems from the fact that he has played as many as 22 matches, which is more than every other player in the list. He is only the second spinner in a list dominated by fast bowlers, which tells you all you need to know about his pedigree.

After a decent 2014, Tahir peaked early this year with some fantastic performances against the West Indies prior to the World Cup. Interestingly, it was against the Caribbeans in the World Cup that he bagged the only five-wicket haul this year.

He turned out to be the match-winner in the quarter-finals when he steered his team to a victory with 4/26 against Sri Lanka at Sydney. The 36-year-old South African could manage only 14 wickets in 11 matches after the World Cup, but he made sure his economy did not rise beyond 4.68 by the end of the year, which is impressive, considering he is a leg spinner.

#3 Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur made it a year to remember for Bangladesh fans

Matches – 9, Wickets – 26, Average – 12.34

It will not be even slightly exaggerating to state that 2015 has been the year of Bangladesh, for the hitherto minnows now lay serious claims to be included among the top cricketing nations in the world. Not only did they reach the semifinals of the ICC World Cup, but also managed to triumph over the mighty Indians in June.

The architect of Bangladesh’s revival has been an unassuming 20-year-old, Mustafizur Rahman, who suddenly catapulted into fame by becoming the only second bowler after Brian Vitori to take five-wicket hauls in his first two ODIs during the series against India.

Despite missing on the World Cup, Mustafizur established himself as the best seamer from Bangladesh by the end of the year. The left-arm pacer was selected against India on the basis of his impressive first-class performances – 26 wickets at 19.08 each.

He justified his selection with 26 wickets in 9 ODIs including 3 five-wicket hauls. Further, his exceptional strike-rate of 17.3 and an equally startling average of 12.34 easily make him the best debutant of the year in limited-overs cricket.

#2 Trent Boult

Boult sent down some thunderbolts in 2015

Matches – 17, Wickets – 36, Average – 19.77

New Zealand’s spectacular display at the World Cup had several architects but the bowling department had only two – Trent Boult and Tim Southee. While Boult was the more outgoing and threatening of the two, Southee remained an able support, pulling off wickets at consistent intervals.

Rated highly by many pundits, Boult’s exceptional control along with his tendency of generating swing both ways even in unresponsive conditions makes him a handful for the opposition. No wonder, he exploited the home conditions well during the World Cup with 22 wickets in 9 matches including 5/27 against Australia in the pool match.

He tormented the English batsmen once again during New Zealand’s tour of England in June with 4/55 at Edgbaston. At the end of the year, his stats read: 36 scalps from 17 ODIs at 19.77 each at a strike rate of 26.6.

#1 Mitchell Starc

Starc is the leading ODI wicket-taker in 2015

Matches – 18, Wickets – 41, Average – 16.26

Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has featured in 18 matches this year and only once – back in February against England at Perth – has he gone wicketless. By the middle of March, he had already picked up 2 four-wicket hauls and 2 five-wicket hauls with best figures of 6/28 (also his career-best) against New Zealand during the group stage of the World Cup.

The exciting 25-year-old has been a vital cog in the Australian bowling unit with consistent performances throughout the year. After a memorable World Cup where he scalped 22 wickets in just 8 matches, Starc bagged 7 more in his next five thus taking his tally to 41 wickets at an average of 16.26.

He ends the year as the highest wicket-taker in 2015 in spite of not having played an ODI since September 13.