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During the last World Cup, Mitchell Starc of Australia and Trent Boult of New Zealand were the joint-top wicket-takers. Both are in England for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup but they have plenty of competition this time around.
Jaspit Bumrah of India is currently ranked by the ICC as the world’s #1 ranked ODI bowler. South Africa’s Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada finished as the top two bowlers in the wicket-taking standings of the IPL while Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka is the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls during a World Cup. Adil Rashid of England entered the tournament with more ODI wickets since the previous World Cup than any other bowler. Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Afghanistan’s 20-year old sensation Rashid Khan headed to this World Cup with high expectations.
As of June 25, 2019, here are the leading wicket-takers in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
| Player | Games Played | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 7 | 64.4 | 347 | 19 |
| Jofra Archer | 7 | 63.8 | 325 | 16 |
| Mohammad Amir | 5 | 46.0 | 219 | 15 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 5 | 45.3 | 217 | 14 |
| Mark Wood | 6 | 51.4 | 262 | 13 |
| Pat Cummins | 7 | 59.1 | 280 | 11 |
| Imran Tahir | 6 | 57.0 | 279 | 11 |
| Mohammad Saifuddin | 5 | 42.0 | 281 | 10 |
| Shakib Al-Hasan | 6 | 54.0 | 301 | 10 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 6 | 52.1 | 350 | 10 |
Now, these are the latest odds for the Top Bowler of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Odds were taken from 888sport.com on 6/26/19.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| MA Starc | +137 |
| JC Archer | +500 |
| Mohammad Amir | +650 |
| LH Ferguson | +700 |
| P Cummins | +1200 |
| JJ Bumrah | +1200 |
| MA Wood | +1600 |
| YS Chahal | +1800 |
| TA Boult | +2800 |
| MJ Henry | +4000 |
| CH Morris | +4000 |
| SS Cottrell | +4000 |
As we mentioned earlier, Mitchell Starc was the top wicket-taker in the 2015 Cricket World Cup and he shared that title with New Zealand’s Trent Boult. As of the latest odds dated June 25th, Stark is the top cricket betting favorite to take home the title this year. The 2015 Cricket World Cup Player of the Tournament has been bothered by injuries but entered the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup has taken 145 wickets in 75 ODIs with an average of 21.45. Starc is living up to his billing with 19 wickets taken so far and with the way he’s been bowling, he might take the most wickets in this tournament.
Jofra Archer was named to England’s 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup team, despite having just three previous ODI experiences. The pace bowler fro Barbadian really made case for himself and was chosen ahead of more experienced white bowlers. So far, that decision has proved to be wise for the hosts as Archer has taken 16 wickets so far, putting him in second place behind Mitchell Stark.
Mohammad Amir has been Pakistan’s most dangerous bowler in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. Amir took his first five-wicket haul in ODI competition during Pakistan’s June 12th match against Australia. His 5/30 during that match was the best up to that point of the tournament. Amir currently has 15 wickets taken, putting him third in the standings behind Stark and Archer.
Lockie Ferguson is emerging as the key player for the Black Caps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. The 28-year old fast bowler is currently one of the hottest wicket-takers in the competition. At 14 wickets, he is ranked fourth behind Mitchell Stark, Jofra Archer, and Mohammad Amir. Three of his wickets came during a crucial match against the West Indies, swinging the game to their favor by breaking up a potential partnership between Chris Gayle and Shimron Hetmyer with a pair of wickets in successive deliveries.
Who Wins?
Mitchell Starc was named as Player of the Tournament during the 2015 Cricket World Cup after taking 22 wickets at an average of 10.18 and an economy rate of 3.5. However, after the World Cup injuries threatened his career. Starc spent a long time off the game due to a pectoral injury which forced him to withdraw from the IFL. But the towering pacer has prepared himself well for this tournament and has been the leader of Australia’s bowling unit in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is the current leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 19. With the way he’s been bowling and his desire to play throughout Australia’s title defense, Starc is my pick here. Prediction: Mitchell Starc
