
West Indies Bowlers With Most Wickets In International Cricket: There was a time when the West Indies cricket team dominated world cricket. However, since their glory days are over, the Caribbean side has seen a massive decline in fortunes. The Windies’ fortunes reached a peak when they failed to even qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Ironically, the West Indies won the first two editions of the ODI World Cup held in England in 1975 and 1979. They also reached the final in 1983 but lost to India in a low-scoring encounter at Lord’s. West Indies and world cricket have never been the same since that day.
Although the Windies’ glory days are behind them, they have shown glimpses of a revival. The West Indies were the unexpected winners of the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy and have also won the T20 World Cup twice—in 2012 and then in 2016.
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The Windies have produced some of the best West Indies bowlers over the years. In that order, let’s take a look at the five West Indies bowlers who have taken the most wickets in international cricket.
West Indies Bowlers With Most Wickets In International Cricket
Joel Garner
Fast bowler Joel Garner is at the fifth spot in the list of West Indies bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. Garner featured in 156 matches and took 405 wickets at an average of 20.20, including 10 five-wicket hauls.
The 71-year-old Garner played 58 Test matches and took 259 wickets at an average of 20.97, including seven five-wicket hauls. His best inning was 6-56 against New Zealand at Auckland in February 1980.
Garner also played 98 ODIs and took 146 wickets at an average of 18.84, including three five-wicket hauls. His best performance was 5-31, which he recorded against Australia in Melbourne in February 1984.
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Kemar Roach
Right-arm fast bowler Kemar Roach is fourth in the list of West Indies bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. He has so far played 188 matches and taken 408 wickets at an average of 28.80, including 14 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul.
Roach has so far played 82 Test matches and taken 273 wickets at an average of 27.77, including 11 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. The 36-year-old’s best performance was 6-48 when he played against Bangladesh in St. George in July 2009.
The West Indies fast bowler has also played 95 ODIs, in which he has taken 125 wickets at an average of 31.08, including three five-wicket hauls. His best performance was 6-27 against the Netherlands in Delhi in the 2011 World Cup. Roach played just 11 T20 matches, taking 10 wickets at an average of 28.40 and an economy rate of 7.28.
Malcolm Marshall
The late Malcolm Marshall is third on the list of West Indies bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. He played 217 matches and took 533 wickets at an average of 22.71, including 22 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls.
Marshall played 81 Tests and took 376 wickets at an average of 20.94, including 22 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls. The right-arm pacer’s best performance was 7-22, which came against England in Manchester in June 1988.
Marshall also had a stellar ODI career. In 136 matches, he took 157 wickets at an average of 26.96. He never managed to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs. Marshall’s best performance was 4-18, which he took against Australia in Melbourne in December 1991.
Curtly Ambrose
One of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Curtly Ambrose is second on the list of West Indies bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. Ambrose played 274 matches and took 630 wickets at an average of 22.11, including 26 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls.
Ambrose played 98 Test matches in which he took 405 wickets at an average of 20.99, including 22 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls. His best inning was 8-45 against England at Bridgetown in April 1990. Ambrose also took 7-25 against Australia at Perth in January 1993.
The 60-year-old Ambrose was part of 176 ODIs in which he took 225 wickets at an average of 24.12, including four five-wicket hauls. The West Indies legend’s best performance of 5-17 came against Australia in December 1988 at Melbourne. His other three ODI five-wicket hauls also came against Australia – Melbourne (January 1989) and Sydney (January 1993).
Courtney Walsh
Former captain Courtney Walsh tops the list of West Indies bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket. The former right-arm pacer played 337 matches and took 746 wickets at an average of 26.28, including 23 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls.
Walsh played 132 Tests and took 519 wickets at an average of 24.44, including 22 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls. The 61-year-old Walsh broke Kapil Dev’s then-Test record of 434 Test wickets to become the first bowler to take 500 Test wickets.
Walsh’s best inning performance was 7-37, which came against Wellington in February 1995.