A career of a bowler is always full of ups and downs, that is why we don’t see more often that a bowler is playing for 15-20 years. Injuries and bad form also pose challenges that prevent a bowler from performing for a long time. ODI cricket comes with a different set of challenges for a bowler.
But there are some greats of the game who faced all these hurdles and went on to become the greatest of all time. In this article, we will talk about the list of bowlers who are the fastest to complete 350 wickets in ODI cricket. Notably, there are only seven bowlers who have taken more than 350 wickets in their ODI careers.
Fastest to 350 Wickets in ODI
| Bowler | Vs | Venue | Match Date | Debut | Time | Mts Taken |
| Brett Lee (AUS) | Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 10 Aug 2011 | 9 Jan 2000 | 11y 213d | 202 |
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | Zimbabwe | Sharjah | 31 Oct 2001 | 14 Oct 1989 | 12y 17d | 218 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 29 Feb 2004 | 12 Aug 1993 | 10y 201d | 229 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | New Zealand | Sydney | 21 Jan 2007 | 9 Dec 1993 | 13y 43d | 233 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | South Africa | East London | 11 Apr 1998 | 23 Nov 1984 | 13y 139d | 244 |
| Shaun Pollock (SA) | New Zealand | Brabourne | 16 Oct 2006 | 9 Jan 1996 | 10y 280d | 262 |
| Chaminda Vaas (SL) | Australia | Sydney | 12 Feb 2006 | 15 Feb 1994 | 11y 362d | 274 |
5. Wasim Akram (PAK) – 244 matches
Legendary Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram made history when he became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in an ODI cricket. This huge landmark has been achieved only two times which shows how rare it is. Akram had 502 wickets in 356 matches during his career. He reached 350 wickets in his 244th ODI game.
4. Glenn McGrath (AUS) – 233 matches
Another bowling legend who made the oppositions batters dance on his ball was Glenn McGrath. Famously known as “Piegon”, he is the most successful bowler in the history of the ODI World Cup, with 72 wickets to his name. McGrath reached 350 wickets in the 233rd game of his ODI career. Overall, he represented his country in 250 games and took 381 wickets, and retired after winning the 2007 World Cup.
3. Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) – 229 matches
Muthiah Muralidaran was the most successful bowler in international cricket, retiring with more than 1300 wickets across formats. Murali also picked up the most ODI wickets. In his career, he took 534 wickets in 350 matches at an economy rate of 3.93. He took 350 wickets during his career in his 229th game.
2. Waqar Younis (PAK) – 218 matches
Waqar Younis was one of the best pacers to play the game of cricket. He was among the most successful bowlers, which is why he is featured on this list in second place. Waqar held many records during his international career in the 50-over cricket. He played in 262 ODIs and took 416 wickets, including a record 13 five-wicket hauls. He is the second fastest bowler on this list, having taken 350 wickets in 218 games.
1. Brett Lee (AUS) – 202 matches
The record for the fastest to 350 ODI wickets belongs to one of the fastest bowlers in history. Brett Lee was probably the fastest bowler to play for Australia at the highest level and the second fastest overall after Shoaib Akhtar. Both of these bowlers bowled a ball at a speed of 100 m/ph. Lee took only 202 ODIs to take 350 wickets. In his career, he took 380 wickets in 221 ODIs at a strike rate of 29.4.