Top 5 Bowlers in the world across all formats

Tahir has failed to replicate his ODI success in the Test formatA look at the best bowlers in the world across all three formats clearly shows one piece of information – very few have played all three formats of cricket this year. Imran Tahir misses out on this list despite being the third highest wicket-taker in ODIs, with 35 wickets in 21 games as he has hardly played Test cricket. Stuart Broad and James Anderson, England’s most potent Test bowlers, haven’t featured in their ODI plans in a while as England have looked to change their style of playing in the 50-over format.Bowlers like Moeen Ali miss out from this list despite boasting a good number of wickets in more than one format purely because, an important criteria for this list, was domination in at least one format with a good showing in the other.Strangely, except Starc and Ashwin, no bowler who has been in top form in Tests, has repeated the success in ODIs.

#5 Wahab Riaz

Riaz’s spell against Watson during the 2015 World Cup will continue to be talked about for a long long time

Wahab Riaz’s bowled two of World Cup’s best fast bowling spells ever – one against Australia and one against South Africa. Had Shane Watson not been dropped by Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz could have carried Pakistan into the semi-finals and may be to greater glory.

He has been their spearhead, giving it his all every time he bowls, helping Pakistan win against the mighty South Africans in the World Cup. Wahab has 19 wickets in 6 Tests and 29 in 16 ODIs. It is his manner of bowling on some of the flattest tracks as opposed to results that has brought him to the list, considering he could’ve picked quite a few more this year if his fielders held on to their catches.

He also inches ahead of Yasir Shah into this list even though the latter has twice as many wickets as Wahab in Tests. That is because Wahab has been a mighty presence for Pakistan even in ODI cricket.

#4 Steven Finn

Steven Finn has made a remarkable return to international cricket this year

Having spent a year in wilderness, Steven Finn has made a fine comeback this year and it shows in his ODI as well as Test numbers. The fourth most prolific wicket-taker in ODIs, Finn with 31 wickets in 18 games has two five-wicket hauls to his credit.

In just 3 Tests, Finn managed to pick up 12 wickets at 22.5, ensuring England didn’t run out of steam in the Ashes despite losing James Anderson, their bowling spearhead. It was a great comeback for Finn as well, who didn’t play the first two Tests of the Ashes but when he did get a chance in the third he made it count with a six-wicket haul in the second innings.

Finn had paved the way for this entry by becoming England’s second highest wicket-taker in the victorious ODI campaign against New Zealand with eight wickets.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin has effected a remarkable turnaround in international cricket over the past year

Although a quality bowler in the limited overs game, Ashwin’s fortunes were sagging when his wicket-taking prowess was briefly on the wane. But returning to his old coach and going back to a classical style of bowling, Ashwin has turned himself into one of the most lethal bowlers in world cricket across all formats.

The wickets have come rapidly too. Ashwin has 21 ODI wickets in just 13 games at 24.57. His economy of 4.27 is the lowest amongst bowlers with at least 20 wickets and second amongst bowlers with at least 15 wickets, with only Mustafizur Rahman, the young Bangladeshi bowler registering better numbers.

Ashwin also has 31 Test wickets in just 5 matches at 23.29 with three five-wicket hauls. Yasir Shah is the only other bowler with three five-wicket hauls this year in Test cricket, although Ashwin also has a four-wicket haul and one more 5-for in ODI cricket, to trump the leg-spinner.

Ashwin also played a couple of T20 games for India where he picked up four wickets. One of India’s more successful bowlers at the World Cup and the Man of the Series during India’s victorious away campaign in Sri Lanka, Ashwin’s wickets have come with classical off-spin instead of mystery balls.

#2 Trent Boult

Boult has been outstanding across all formats of the game for quite some time

New Zealand’s left-arm fast bowler has played just three Tests this year but picked up 17 wickets at 26.64 with a five-wicket haul. However, it is in ODIs that he has been especially brilliant for the Black Caps. His 36 wickets have come at less than 20 apiece and his economy of 4.44 is even better than that of Mitchell Starc.

Boult has quite a few four-wicket hauls this year and was instrumental in New Zealand’s best ever World Cup campaign. The other fascinating aspect of Boult’s bowling has been his 19 maiden overs in ODIs during a phase when batsmen were having it real good. In fact, he has the most maidens by any international bowler in ODI cricket.

#1 Mitchell Starc

Starc was the leading wicket-taker at the 2015 ICC World Cup, which was won by Australia

Mitchell Starc has had a fabulous year with the ball. He averages more than two wickets per innings in Tests as well as in ODIs, the only bowler who can boast of that stat this year.

He has been head and shoulders over the rest when it comes to ODI bowling, known for his fast yorkers, averaging 16 runs per wicket at an economy of 4.61. Starc has had a long season and he looked tired towards the end of the Ashes campaign. But, a total of four five-wicket hauls in Tests and ODIs is a great year by any standards for a bowler.

He was also one of the most sensational bowlers in T20 cricket, especially in the IPL, although he hasn’t turned up much in the Australian colours. Starc’s best figures though haven’t always coincided with Australia’s best matches.