The unsung allrounder
Cricinfo staff
July 23, 2007
Sanath Jayasuriya became the ninth bowler to take 300 ODI wickets after his haul of 4 for 31 in the second ODI against Bangladesh. Jayasuriya - more known for his powerful shot-making ability than his left-arm slingers - is only the third Sri Lankan bowler to do so, after Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.
The 300-wicket club in ODIs
Player
Matches
Wickets
Average
Economy rate
Wasim Akram
356
502
23.52
3.89
Muttiah Muralitharan
297
455
22.68
3.84
Waqar Younis
262
416
23.84
4.68
Chaminda Vaas
300
383
26.78
4.18
Glenn McGrath
250
381
22.02
3.88
Shaun Pollock
287
381
24.02
3.71
Anil Kumble
271
337
30.89
4.30
Javagal Srinath
229
315
28.08
4.44
Sanath Jayasuriya
397
300
36.92
4.76
To add to his 300 wickets, Jayasuriya has also scored over 12,000 runs in ODIs, a feat matched by no other player. He's no slouch in the field either, having taken 114 catches in 397 matches. Other than Sachin Tendulkar, Jayasuriya is the only player to have completed the unique treble of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches. The fact that he is currently the highest-capped player in ODIs does come to Jayasuriya's aid, though.
At 38, Jayasuriya is the grand old man playing in the international circuit, with only Tendulkar having played longer. His crucial role for Sri Lanka with the ball is reflected in the fact that the team has won 22 of 30 matches when he has taken three wickets or more. His matchwinning ability with the bat is well known, with 22 of his 25 hundreds resulting in victory for his team.
Not only has Jayasuriya bowled his left-arm spin effectively in the middle overs, he has often done the job at the death too, where he has used all his experience to curb the runs and pick up crucial wickets.
Sanath Jayasuriya's bowling record in ODIs since 2002 Record Overs Runs conceded Wickets Runs per over Average
Overall 757.1 3597 86 4.75 41.82
Last 10 overs 133.2 821 30 6.15 27.36
Jayasuriya is also part of a unique allrounders club, and is one of three players having scored 5000 runs and taken 200 wickets in ODIs.
5000 runs and 200 wickets in ODIs
Player
Matches
Runs
Batting average
Wickets
Bowling average
Sanath Jayasuriya
397
12108
32.90
300
36.92
Jacques Kallis
261
9144
45.49
233
31.48
Shahid Afridi
240
5072
23.37
204
35.25