Top 10 bowlers with best bowling economy rate in ODIs
In a game of cricket a bowler is usually assigned with two major responsibilities. To take wickets when possible and to maintain a tight economy rate so the batsmen do a blunder while going for the big hits. Maintain a best bowling economy rate is not an easy job now a day, especially after the introduction of T20 format of cricket. In a T20 game a bowler gets to bowl a maximum of four overs. The opportunity to bowl just 24 deliveries in a match at one end save the bowler form conceding too many runs on the other hand give the batsmen freedom to charge down from the first delivery. Unlike test formats of the game where batsmen tend to play prolonged solid innings regardless of how many balls they consume, limited over games does not allow them to take much time for the settlement. And that thing goes against the economy of a bower as well with the batsmen gathering as much runs as possible from the specified quota of a bowler.
No surprises bowlers with best bowling economy rate in ODIs hail from the years before 2000. In fact only one bowler with some reasonable economy rate comes in the top 20 of the best bowling economy rate list from the year 2000. One of the tallest cricket bowlers in history, Curtly Ambrose is the only bowler to have played a few games in the year 2000 having a good economy rate. All other players in the best bowling economy rate in ODI cricket are either of 80’s or 90’s era. The reason for their good bowling economy rates is again very simple. At that time cricket was not a mere batsmen’s game like the game we watch today.
Modern day cricket offers a lot to the batsmen’s assistance. From a batting friendly pitch to the size of a bat, everything goes in favor of the batter. In fact, people want to see batsmen scoring mammoth targets and then opposition side chasing it down. Although low scoring games prove to be much more interesting at times, a cricket match without 1 or 2 centuries seems no more interesting now days. And all these factors go against the economy rates of a side’s bowling department. Some might argue that ICC has let bowler have some freedom as well but honestly speaking that little freedom too gets done due to the fielding restrictions. While the world responds to a bowler’s call to have some mercy on their situation let us take a look at some ODI bowlers with their best bowling economy rate in career.
Top 10 bowlers with best bowling economy rate in ODIs
| Bowler | Matches | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Avg. | Economy |
| Joel Garner | 98 | 5330 | 2752 | 146 | 18.84 | 3.09 |
| Max Walker | 17 | 1006 | 546 | 20 | 27.30 | 3.25 |
| Mike Hendrick | 22 | 1248 | 681 | 35 | 19.45 | 3.27 |
| Bob Willis | 64 | 3595 | 1968 | 80 | 24.60 | 3.28 |
| Richard Hadlee | 115 | 6182 | 3407 | 158 | 21.56 | 3.30 |
| Michael Holding | 102 | 5473 | 3034 | 142 | 21.36 | 3.32 |
| Simon Davis | 39 | 2016 | 1133 | 44 | 25.75 | 3.37 |
| Andy Roberts | 56 | 3123 | 1771 | 87 | 20.35 | 3.40 |
| Tony Dodemaide | 24 | 1327 | 753 | 36 | 20.91 | 3.40 |
| Chris Old | 32 | 1755 | 999 | 45 | 22.20 | 3.41 |
