Mitchell Starc owns best bowling average in WC history: Stats
Australia will be heading into the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup as one of the favorites to win the tournament. They have clinched five ODI World Cup titles so far (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015). Mitchell Starc will be instrumental to their plans as the left-arm pacer was sensational in the last two WC editions. Here we decode his World Cup stats.
Joint-fifth-highest wicket-taker, most fifers
The Australian pacer has raced to 49 wickets in 18 WC games (ER: 4.64). Starc is the joint-fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament history alongside Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas. His tally of three WC fifers is the most for any bowler. 6/28 read his best figures. The past two editions of the ODI WCs (2015 and 2019) saw Starc finish as the highest wicket-taker.
Most wickets in a WC edition
Starc finished the 2019 WC as the highest wicket-taker (27 wickets in 10 matches). No other bowler has taken more wickets in a single edition of the WC. Starc's compatriot Glenn McGrath is next on the list with 26 wickets. His tally of 22 wickets was the joint-most in the 2015 edition. New Zealand's Trent Boult also took as many wickets.
Best average in WC history
Starc's bowling average of 14.81 is the best among bowlers with at least 20 wickets in WC. Indian pacer Mohammed Shami (15.70) trails him in this regard. The Aussie also owns the most four-plus wicket hauls in the competition (6). South Africa's Imran Tahir trails him with five. Among Australians, Shane Warne (4) trails him in this regard.
Starc can displace Malinga in this regard
Sri Lanka's bowling legend Lasith Malinga is currently the fastest to attain 50 WC wickets, getting the feat in 26 games. Starc needs a solitary wicket in his seven games to displace the Lankan star. Besides Malinga (56), only Wasim Akram (55), Muttiah Muralitharan (68), and McGrath (71) own more WC wickets than Starc. Among active players, Boult trails him with 39 scalps.
Fastest to 200 ODI wickets
Last year, Starc became the fastest to accomplish 200 ODI wickets, getting the mark in just 102 matches. Starc has raced to 220 wickets in this format from 111 games at 22.23. He is the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia, only behind Mitchell Johnson (239), Warne (291), Brett Lee (380), and McGrath (380). Starc also owns the joint-third-most ODI fifers (9).
