Who is Michael Leask? Decoding his stats
Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask grabbed the eyeball of the cricket world on Wednesday (June 21) with a breathtaking knock against Ireland in Match 7 of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. He made an unbeaten 61-ball 91 when the Scottish side looked entirely down and out. Moreover, he smashed a boundary when Scotland required two off the last ball. Here are his stats.
A knock to remember from Leask
Chasing 287 in Bulawayo, Scotland suffered a middle-order collapse and were reduced to 152/7. While Ireland's win looked like a mere formality at this point, Leask had other ideas. He was aggressive and calculative at the same time as he recorded 55-plus stands with lower-order batters Chris Greaves (20) and Mark Watt (47). His brilliance meant Scotland made 87 in their last 10 overs.
Leask's brilliance at number seven
This is not the first time Leask has made crucial runs lower down the order. He owns five of the top-six ODI scores by Scotland players batting at number seven or lower. The 91* against Ireland ranks second on this list as he made an unbeaten 107 against Nepal earlier this year. Leask now owns seven 50-plus ODI scores at number seven or lower.
A look at his journey
Making his international debut in 2013, Leask did not take long in becoming a vital part of the team. Besides providing finishing touches, the 32-year-old can also contribute with his off-spin. His brutal 16-ball 42 against England in a rain-curtailed ODI in 2014 hit headlines. He also played a mini cameo (10* off four balls) in Scotland's famous ODI win against England in 2018.
Here are his international stats
Leask has now raced to 1,162 runs from 63 ODIs at an average of 28.34. The one against Ireland was his seventh ODI fifty (100: 1). He has a healthy strike rate (114.82) in ODIs. Leask, who bowls off-spin, has 52 wickets to his name at 33.94. He has accumulated 487 runs at 14.76 and 30 wickets at 25.57 from 47 T20Is.
Fifth-highest SR in ODIs
Leask has the fifth-highest strike rate in ODI cricket among batters with a minimum of 1,000 runs. He is only behind Andre Russell (130.22), Glenn Maxwell (124.82), Jos Buttler (117.97), and Shahid Afridi (117.00).
Only Scotland all-rounder with this double
It must be noted that Leask is the only Scotland all-rounder with the double of 1,000 runs and 50 wickets in ODIs to date. Overall, he is the seventh-highest run-getter and the fifth-highest wicket-taker for Scotland in the 50-over format.
