ICC Cricket World Cup Golden Ball Winners List

The Golden Ball is associated with the leading wicket-taker at the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup. While the terminology and presentation of individual tournament awards have changed across different eras, the statistical idea is simple: the bowler who finishes a World Cup with the most wickets sits at the top of the bowling chart.

World Cup leading wicket-takers have included fast bowlers, swing specialists and world-class spinners. Gary Gilmour topped the first tournament with 11 wickets despite playing only two matches, Roger Binny led India’s attack during the historic 1983 title run, Wasim Akram finished first when Pakistan became champions in 1992, and Glenn McGrath dominated Australia’s unbeaten 2007 campaign.

More recently, Mitchell Starc finished joint-first in 2015 before taking a record 27 wickets in 2019. Mohammed Shami became the leading wicket-taker in 2023 with 24 wickets from only seven matches.

Several editions have also finished with two bowlers level on wickets, making the World Cup Golden Ball race one of the tournament’s most interesting individual contests.

ICC Cricket World Cup Golden Ball Winners List

For early tournaments, “Golden Ball winner” is used here as a convenient modern term for the edition’s leading wicket-taker. Three editions ended with joint leaders: 1999, 2011 and 2015.

Mitchell Starc’s 27 wickets in 2019 remain the highest wicket tally by a bowler in a single men’s ODI World Cup. Shami’s 24 wickets in only seven appearances in 2023 were especially remarkable because he was not part of India’s starting XI for the opening matches.

Gary Gilmour – 11 Wickets in 1975

Gary Gilmour’s 1975 World Cup campaign remains one of the most unusual bowling achievements in tournament history.

The Australian left-arm seamer played only two matches yet finished as the leading wicket-taker with 11.

He entered the team for the semi-final against England at Headingley and immediately produced one of the greatest spells in World Cup history.

Gilmour took 6/14 as England were bowled out for only 93.

Australia struggled during the chase, but Gilmour also made an unbeaten 28 to help his team reach the final.

He then took 5/48 against West Indies at Lord’s.

Australia lost the final by 17 runs, but Gilmour finished the tournament with two consecutive five-wicket hauls and 11 wickets from just two appearances.

No other Golden Ball campaign has been built from so few matches.

Roger Binny – 18 Wickets in 1983

Roger Binny became the leading wicket-taker of the 1983 World Cup with 18 wickets from eight matches.

His success was a major reason India transformed from outsiders into champions.

English conditions suited Binny’s ability to move the ball, particularly when clouds and moisture offered assistance.

He took wickets in every match India played during the tournament.

His best performance came against Australia at Chelmsford, where he took 4/29 as India successfully defended 247 and bowled Australia out for 129.

Binny also made an important contribution in the final against West Indies by dismissing captain Clive Lloyd.

India defended only 183 at Lord’s to win by 43 runs.

Binny’s 18 wickets therefore combined individual success with India’s first World Cup championship.

Wasim Akram – 18 Wickets in 1992

Wasim Akram’s 1992 campaign remains one of the most famous performances by a fast bowler in World Cup history.

The Pakistan left-armer finished with 18 wickets as Imran Khan’s team recovered from a difficult start to win the trophy.

Akram saved one of his finest contributions for the final against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pakistan scored 249/6 before Akram produced a decisive spell.

He removed Ian Botham early and later delivered two famous consecutive balls to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis.

The deliveries swung in different ways and broke England’s middle-order resistance.

Akram finished the final with 3/49.

Pakistan won by 22 runs, and Akram’s combination of tournament-leading wickets and final-match impact made his 1992 campaign one of the defining Golden Ball performances.

Glenn McGrath – 26 Wickets in 2007

Glenn McGrath’s farewell World Cup produced one of the greatest bowling campaigns the tournament has seen.

The Australian fast bowler took 26 wickets from 11 matches in 2007.

He took at least one wicket in every game and repeatedly struck during important stages rather than simply collecting wickets against weaker opposition.

McGrath took three wickets in Australia’s semi-final victory over South Africa, helping dismiss the Proteas for only 149.

Australia then defeated Sri Lanka in the final to complete an unbeaten tournament.

McGrath finished his international career as a World Cup champion and was named Player of the Tournament.

His 26 wickets remained the single-edition World Cup record until Mitchell Starc took 27 in 2019.

Mitchell Starc – 27 Wickets in 2019

Mitchell Starc owns the record for the most wickets in a single men’s ODI World Cup.

He took 27 wickets from 10 matches in England and Wales in 2019.

Starc had already finished joint-leading wicket-taker with Trent Boult four years earlier, when both left-arm fast bowlers claimed 22.

In 2019, he went one better and finished six wickets clear of New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson, who took 21.

Starc produced several match-changing performances.

He took 5/46 against West Indies and 4/55 against Sri Lanka before producing his best figures of 5/26 against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Australia reached the semi-final, where eventual champions England ended their campaign.

Despite missing the final, Starc finished comfortably ahead of every other bowler and became the only player to top the World Cup wicket chart in consecutive editions.

Mohammed Shami – 24 Wickets in 2023

Mohammed Shami’s 2023 campaign was remarkable because he did not even start the tournament in India’s first-choice XI.

India preferred a different bowling combination in their opening matches, but an injury created an opportunity for Shami.

He immediately took advantage.

Shami claimed 5/54 against New Zealand in Dharamsala and followed it with 4/22 against England.

He then demolished Sri Lanka with 5/18 in Mumbai.

His greatest performance came in the semi-final against New Zealand.

India scored 397/4 before New Zealand threatened through Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell.

Shami repeatedly broke important partnerships and finished with 7/57, the best bowling figures by an Indian in World Cup history.

He ended the tournament with 24 wickets from only seven matches and three five-wicket hauls.

India lost the final to Australia, but Shami comfortably finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.

Bowlers With the Most World Cup Golden Balls

Mitchell Starc is the only bowler to finish as a joint or outright leading wicket-taker in two separate men’s ODI World Cups.

He shared the top position with Trent Boult in 2015 after both took 22 wickets.

Four years later, Starc led outright with 27.

Starc’s achievement becomes even more impressive when comparing him with legendary World Cup bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mohammed Shami.

McGrath is the leading wicket-taker in overall men’s ODI World Cup history, but he finished first in an individual edition only once, in 2007.

Starc managed the feat in consecutive tournaments.

Golden Ball Winners From World Cup Champion Teams

Several leading wicket-takers have also finished the tournament holding the trophy.

Roger Binny took 18 wickets when India won in 1983.

Craig McDermott matched that total for Australia during their first championship in 1987.

Wasim Akram topped the bowling chart when Pakistan won in 1992.

Shane Warne shared the 1999 lead with Geoff Allott and played a decisive role as Australia became champions.

Glenn McGrath led the 2007 tournament with 26 wickets while Australia completed a third consecutive title-winning campaign.

Mitchell Starc shared the 2015 lead with Trent Boult as Australia defeated New Zealand in the final.

Zaheer Khan also finished level with Shahid Afridi on 21 wickets in 2011 while India won the trophy.

This connection shows how valuable a tournament-leading bowler can be during a championship run.

Shared Golden Ball Races

Three World Cups ended with two bowlers level on wickets.

1999 – Geoff Allott and Shane Warne

New Zealand’s Geoff Allott and Australia’s Shane Warne both finished with 20 wickets.

Their campaigns developed very differently.

Allott was consistently productive throughout New Zealand’s run to the semi-final.

Warne peaked during the knockout matches.

The Australian leg-spinner took 4/29 against South Africa in the famous tied semi-final and then 4/33 against Pakistan in the final.

Australia won the trophy, while both Warne and Allott finished level at the top of the wicket chart.

2011 – Shahid Afridi and Zaheer Khan

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and India’s Zaheer Khan each took 21 wickets.

Afridi needed only eight matches and collected two five-wicket hauls.

Zaheer played nine matches and became India’s most reliable wicket-taking fast bowler.

Their teams met in the semi-final at Mohali.

India won by 29 runs before defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

Zaheer therefore finished the tournament both as joint-leading wicket-taker and a World Cup champion.

2015 – Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult

Starc and Boult each took 22 wickets in 2015.

Both left-arm pacers used swing with the new ball and yorkers against the lower order to dominate the tournament.

Their race eventually reached the final because Australia and New Zealand both qualified for the championship match.

Starc produced the first major moment by bowling Brendon McCullum for a duck.

Australia dismissed New Zealand for 183 and won by seven wickets.

Starc and Boult remained level on wickets, but Starc was named Player of the Tournament.

Closest Golden Ball Races in World Cup History

Several other World Cups were decided by only one wicket.

Craig McDermott took 18 wickets in 1987, just one more than Pakistan captain Imran Khan.

Chaminda Vaas led the 2003 tournament with 23 wickets, while Australia’s Brett Lee finished immediately behind him with 22.

The 2023 race was similarly close.

Shami finished with 24 wickets, while Australia’s Adam Zampa took 23.

That contest was particularly interesting because Shami played only seven matches compared with Zampa’s 11.

There have therefore been several editions where one late wicket in a semi-final or final could have changed the identity of the leading wicket-taker.

Pace Bowlers Versus Spinners

Fast and seam bowlers have historically dominated the list of World Cup leading wicket-takers.

Gilmour, Hendrick, Binny, McDermott, Akram, Allott, Vaas, McGrath, Zaheer, Starc, Boult and Shami all relied primarily on pace, seam or swing.

However, spinners have also topped major tournaments.

Anil Kumble led the 1996 World Cup with 15 wickets.

Shane Warne shared the 1999 lead with 20.

Shahid Afridi, another leg-spinner, shared the 2011 lead with Zaheer Khan after collecting 21 wickets.

Conditions influence the balance.

English, Australian, New Zealand and South African conditions have often assisted pace, while tournaments in Asia can offer more opportunities for spin.

Yet modern fast bowlers also benefit from bowling at the death, where batters attack more often and create additional wicket-taking chances.

How Golden Ball Totals Have Increased

The number of wickets required to top a World Cup has generally risen over time.

Mike Hendrick needed 10 wickets to lead the 1979 tournament.

Roger Binny and Craig McDermott reached 18 during the 1980s.

By 2003, Vaas needed 23.

McGrath pushed the single-edition record to 26 in 2007 before Starc reached 27 in 2019.

Tournament structures explain part of the increase.

Modern leading teams usually play more matches than countries did during early World Cups, providing bowlers with additional opportunities.

Bowling tactics have also changed.

Teams now use attacking fast bowlers during the Powerplay and return to them at the death when batters are taking greater risks.

The wickets may be harder to earn on modern batting pitches, but strike bowlers also receive more chances to dismiss players who are attacking boundaries.

Conclusion

The ICC Cricket World Cup Golden Ball list contains many of the greatest bowling names in ODI history.

Gary Gilmour led the inaugural 1975 tournament with 11 wickets from only two matches. Roger Binny topped India’s championship campaign in 1983, while Wasim Akram’s 18 wickets helped Pakistan become world champions in 1992.

Glenn McGrath set a new standard with 26 wickets in 2007.

Mitchell Starc then became the first bowler to finish joint or outright top in consecutive editions, taking 22 wickets in 2015 and a record 27 in 2019.

Mohammed Shami is the latest World Cup leading wicket-taker after collecting 24 wickets from only seven matches in 2023.

The Golden Ball race has also produced three ties, involving Allott and Warne in 1999, Afridi and Zaheer in 2011, and Starc and Boult in 2015.

Whether through swing, pace or spin, leading a World Cup wicket chart remains one of the biggest individual achievements available to an ODI bowler.

FAQs

Who won the Golden Ball at the 2023 ODI World Cup?

Mohammed Shami finished as the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets from seven matches for India.

Who has won the most ODI World Cup Golden Balls?

Mitchell Starc is the only bowler to finish as joint or outright leading wicket-taker in two editions. He shared the lead in 2015 and topped the table outright in 2019.

### What is the record for most wickets in a single ODI World Cup?

Mitchell Starc holds the record with 27 wickets for Australia during the 2019 World Cup.

Who was the leading wicket-taker in the 2011 World Cup?

Shahid Afridi of Pakistan and Zaheer Khan of India shared the lead with 21 wickets each.

Who was the first World Cup leading wicket-taker?

Australia’s Gary Gilmour finished the 1975 tournament with 11 wickets from only two matches.

Has a Golden Ball winner also won the World Cup?

Yes. Examples include Roger Binny in 1983, Craig McDermott in 1987, Wasim Akram in 1992, Shane Warne in 1999, Glenn McGrath in 2007, Zaheer Khan in 2011 and Mitchell Starc in 2015.