300 wicket mark in any form of the game is a huge landmark. It takes years of hard work for a bowler to reach 300 wickets. In the 50-year-plus history of ODI cricket, there have been only 12 bowlers who have taken 300 or more wickets in their careers.
That list has two Australians, two Indians, three Sri Lankans, two Pakistanis, and one each from South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. But who is the fastest among those? This article will include the list of fastest bowlers to each 300 wickets in their careers in the One-day internationals.
Fastest to 300 Wickets in ODI
| Bowler | Vs | Venue | Match Date | Debut | Time | Mts Taken |
| Brett Lee (AUS) | West Indies | St George’s | 29 Jun 2008 | 9 Jan 2000 | 8y 172d | 171 |
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | South Africa | Sharjah | 28 Mar 2000 | 14 Oct 1989 | 10y 166d | 186 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | Pakistan | Melbourne | 4 Feb 2005 | 9 Dec 1993 | 11y 57d | 200 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | England | Sydney | 13 Jan 2003 | 12 Aug 1993 | 9y 154d | 202 |
| Lasith Malinga (SL) | India | Colombo (RPS) | 31 Aug 2017 | 17 Jul 2004 | 13y 45d | 203 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | Zimbabwe | Quetta | 30 Oct 1996 | 23 Nov 1984 | 11y 342d | 208 |
| Shaun Pollock (SA) | Sri Lanka | Dambulla | 25 Aug 2004 | 9 Jan 1996 | 8y 229d | 217 |
| Javagal Srinath (IND) | Netherlands | Paarl | 12 Feb 2003 | 18 Oct 1991 | 11y 117d | 219 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | England | Chattogram | 6 Mar 2023 | 6 Aug 2006 | 16y 212d | 227 |
| Anil Kumble (IND) | West Indies | Jamshedpur | 6 Nov 2002 | 25 Apr 1990 | 12y 195d | 234 |
5. Lasith Malinga (SL) – 203 matches
Former Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga is one of three Sri Lankan to achieve this special landmark. Malinga was a white-ball specialist and the only bowler with five international hat-tricks, and three of those came in ODI cricket. He completed 300 wickets in 203 games. In his career, he picked up 338 wickets in 226 games, with a best of 6/38.
4. Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) – 202 matches
Sri Lankan legend Muthiah Muralidaran also features on this special list. Murali retired with the most ODI wickets in his career and is one of the two bowlers with over 500 ODI wickets. He took 534 wickets in 350 games at a strike rate of 35.2 and 10 fifers. He reached 300 wickets in the 202nd ODI of his career.
3. Glenn McGrath (AUS) – 200 matches
The Pigeon of Australian cricket that took Australia to two World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007, Glenn McGrath was the one of the greatest pacers in the game. He retired with most wickets (72) in ODI World Cup history. McGrath took 300 wickets in 200 ODI matches. Overall, he took 381 scalps in 250 games, with a best of 7/15 and seven fifers.
2. Waqar Younis (PAK) – 186 matches
Waqar Younis held the record for the fastest to 300 ODI wickets for 8 years. He was one of the best components of swing bowlers in this game, who tourbled the batters with his swing variations. Waqar had one of the most successful careers as a bowler in 50-over cricket, which ended with the third-most ODI wickets (416). He picked up his 300th ODI wicket in 186 games during his career.
1. Brett Lee (AUS) – 171 matches
Australia’s fastest bowler and second-fastest overall Brett Lee is the best bowler on this list. Lee was known for his speed and bowled at a speed of 100 m/ph, which is why he was very scary to face. Lee took 300 ODI wickets in just 171 games, which is 15 fewer than No. 2 ranked bowler. Overall, he took 380 wickets in 221 games in his career.