One-day cricket asks bowlers to stay on their feet through fifty overs of graft, over after over, match after match. The longer a bowler's career and the more deliveries they send down, the bigger the runs tally against their name naturally becomes. So a list of the bowlers who have conceded the most runs in ODI history isn't a record of failure at all, it's really a marker of endurance, skill and the sheer volume of overs a team trusted them to bowl. Here's a look at the five bowlers who have given away the most runs across ODI careers, and why every one of them remains a legend of the format.
Shahid Afridi tops the list with 13,632 runs conceded
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi sits at number one on this list. Across a career that ran from 1996 to 2015, Afridi played 398 ODIs and bowled in 372 of those innings. Mixing leg-spin with pace and variation, he sent down 17,670 balls over his career, and batters took 13,632 runs off him, still the highest total any bowler has conceded in ODI history. Yet despite handing over that many runs, Afridi picked up 395 wickets and claimed five or more wickets in an innings on nine occasions, with his best figures reading 7 for 12. His bowling average stood at 34.51 while he went at an economy of 4.62 runs an over, numbers that never stopped him from being one of Pakistan's biggest match winners. Afridi's career ended in 2015, meaning no bowler has managed to overtake his tally of runs conceded in roughly 11 years since.
Muthiah Muralidaran gave away 12,326 runs, but took the most wickets ever
Sri Lankan spin wizard Muthiah Muralidaran occupies second place. Playing between 1993 and 2011, he featured in 350 ODIs and bowled in 341 innings, delivering 18,811 balls in the process and conceding 12,326 runs. That number, however, looks small next to his real achievement, Muralidaran holds the record for the most wickets in ODI history, with 534 dismissals to his name. His economy rate was a remarkably tight 3.93 and his average just 23.08, figures that made life miserable for batters facing his spin. He picked up five wickets in an innings ten times and four wickets fifteen times, and his best bowling figures read 7 for 30.
Sanath Jayasuriya backed his batting with 323 crucial wickets
Third on the list is former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya. His career stretched from 1989 to 2011, across which he played 445 matches. Best known for his explosive batting, Jayasuriya also gave his side real value with his left arm spin. He bowled 14,874 balls across 368 innings, conceding 11,871 runs, while picking up 323 important wickets along the way. With an economy of 4.78 and an average of 36.75, he remains one of Sri Lanka's most reliable all-rounders, someone who claimed a five wicket haul four times and finished with best figures of 6 for 29.
Wasim Akram, the Sultan of Swing, took 502 wickets
Fourth place belongs to Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram, known across the cricket world as the Sultan of Swing. Between 1984 and 2003, Akram played 356 matches and bowled 351 innings, sending down 18,186 balls. Batters scored 11,812 runs off him, but in return he claimed 502 wickets, cementing his place among the most feared fast bowlers in ODI history. His economy rate of 3.89 and average of 23.52 were exceptional for a fast bowler, and he picked up a five wicket haul six times and a four wicket haul on 17 occasions, with best figures of 5 for 15.
Chaminda Vaas owns the best bowling figures in ODI history
Rounding out the list at fifth is Sri Lankan left arm pacer Chaminda Vaas. Across a career from 1994 to 2008, he played 322 matches, bowling 15,775 balls across 320 innings and conceding 11,014 runs. A master of swinging the new ball, Vaas finished his career with 400 wickets. His economy of 4.18 and average of 27.53 helped him lead Sri Lanka's pace attack for years. Most remarkably, Vaas also holds the best bowling figures in ODI history, having once taken 8 wickets for just 19 runs.
