The 2023 World Cup ended with Australia’s record-extending sixth title victory. The Aussies tasted success after hammering the hosts India by six wickets in the final at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium. In the Men in Yellow’s exceptional performance, their bowling attack played an instrumental role.
On India’s batting-friendly tracks, the bowlers’ job was never easy in the tournament but the trophy winners Australia and some other teams displayed their audacious side and put up some great bowling performances. While other sides struggled to be at their best in difficult bowling conditions which wrapped up their campaigns in the league round. After the conclusion of the blockbuster One-Day International (ODI) event, let’s rate all 10 sides on their bowling performances.
Here are the ratings of all teams based on their bowling displays
10. The Netherlands- 4/10
Netherlands. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The Netherlands ended up at the bottom of the points table with two wins and seven defeats in their nine matches but they showed signs of becoming a full-time International Cricket Council (ICC) member with their amazing 38-run win against South Africa in Dharamshala.
In the rain-curtailed game, the Dutch bowlers were tasked to defend 245 runs in 43 overs and they did that excellently. Logan van Beek grabbed three wickets which included the prized scalps of dangerous Heinrich Klassen and David Miller. However, after the scintillating win against the Proteas, their bowlers lacked discipline against quality sides.
They registered the heaviest World Cup defeat to their name with a 309-run hammering at the hands of Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. In this loss, their bowlers leaked 399 runs in 50 overs. Playing the final league game against India in Bengaluru, their bowlers leaked 410 runs and looked completely out of rhythm again.
Also check: Most runs conceded by bowlers in World Cup
9. Sri Lanka- 4/10
Sri-Lanka. (Photo by Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
The Sri Lankan Cricket team is going through a huge crisis after their disheartening performance in the 2023 World Cup. The 1996 champions concluded their campaign in the ninth spot with two wins and seven losses in the marquee ODI competition. Sri Lanka’s dismal performance also shut their doors for the 2025 Champions Trophy to be played in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka’s biggest weakness in the tournament was their bowling. In the crucial games against South Africa and Pakistan, their bowlers failed to contain batters which cost them heavily. Playing the opening game against the Proteas in Delhi, they splurged 428 runs in 50 overs while against Pakistan they failed to defend a mammoth total of 344.
In the entire tournament, only their young pacer Dilshan Madushanka looked confident with the ball. The 23-year-old picked up 21 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 6.70 and ended up as the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Except for him, all other bowlers struggled to be among the wickets.
8. Bangladesh- 5/10
Bangladesh Team. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Bangladesh failed to leave any impact in the competition with their sub-par performance. Under the veteran Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangla side was expected to take advantage of sub-continent conditions and deliver a fine performance to its fans but it had success in only two out of nine matches and ended up in the seventh position.
In Bangladesh’s massive failure, their bowlers made a heavy contribution with their ordinary performances. On India’s turning surfaces, their spin-bowling stalwarts Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz looked completely ineffective with the ball while their pacers also couldn’t produce anything big in the tournament.
Shakib, whose responsibility was to spearhead his team’s spin attack, scalped only nine wickets in seven games. Experienced pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman also looked out of rhythm which affected Bangladesh’s campaign.
7. England- 6/10
England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
England were favourites to win the trophy before the 2023 World Cup but they lost confidence after losing to Afghanistan by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Jos Buttler-led side never got going after that defeat and finished seventh on the ODI World Cup 2023 points table.
In the end, they amassed three wins off their nine contests and were only successful in qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy. On India’s batting pitches, England’s bowlers couldn’t display their fighting spirit against batters which made the English team’s journey difficult in the competition.
Bowling stalwarts Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran are accustomed to Indian conditions but they failed to deliver solid results to their side. The leggie Adil Rashid did his job efficiently with the ball, bagging 15 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 5.18.
6. Pakistan- 6/10
Shaheen Shah Afridi. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Pakistan’s performance wasn’t upto the mark in the World Cup 2023. With four wins and five losses off nine contests, their journey ended prematurely in the league round itself. This was the third consecutive time the Men in Green failed to qualify for the knockouts in the World Cup tournaments.
Indian pitches are known for being unfriendly towards pacers and noting that, a lot of eyes were set to watch the performance of Pakistan speedsters. In Naseem Shah’s absence, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali got the responsibility to vitalise the pace attack. Shaheen bagged 18 wickets in nine matches but got criticised for striking late.
Hasan Ali looked ineffective with the ball, getting only nine wickets in six matches. For Haris, it was a forgettable campaign as he not only failed to claim wickets regularly but also got pounded mercilessly. In nine contests, he ended up with 16 wickets but at an expensive economy of 6.74.
Shadab Khan, the spin-bowling spearhead, couldn’t justify his role with the ball. The leg-break bowler played six matches but scalped only two wickets at an economy of 6.23. Along with Shadab, Usama Mir and Mohammad Nawaz also disappointed Pakistan team supporters with their miserable bowling displays.
Also check: World Cup 2023 bowling stats
5. Afghanistan- 6/10
Afghanistan. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
Afghanistan looked magnificent under Hashmatullah Shahidi in the recently concluded tournament. They ended up in the sixth spot in the competition, racking up four wins off nine matches. Of their four victories, two came against quality sides such as England and Pakistan.
In Afghanistan’s decent campaign, their bowlers played their part superbly. The eight-wicket triumph against Pakistan became possible for the Afghan side due to tight bowling in the first innings. On Chennai’s spin-friendly pitch, the World Cup debutant Noor Ahmad grabbed a three-wicket haul in his 10 overs while Rashid Khan also delivered a wicketless thrifty spell (0/41 in 10 overs) to the side.
Earlier, the Afghan side vanquished England by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, and in this victory, Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman stepped up with the ball. Both spinners chipped in with three wickets apiece in the famous win. In the illustrious ODI event, Afghan spinners played their role efficiently but the pacers looked average.
4. New Zealand- 7/10
Trent Boult. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
New Zealand kicked off their campaign spectacularly winning their first four matches but later they lost the momentum and qualified for the knockout round with only five wins. The Kiwi side looked dismal in the second phase of the league stage due to its ordinary bowling performance against quality teams such as Australia and South Africa.
Spearheading the Kiwi team’s fast-bowling unit, Trent Boult looked confident but he didn’t get enough support from Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee to strengthen the pace attack, after Matt Henry’s injury.
Mitchell Santner on the other hand didn’t disappoint his side with his bowling performance. The finger spinner bagged 16 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 4.84 and emerged as the leading wicket-taker for his team. Matt Henry played seven games before picking up a hamstring injury and he also looked decent with the ball, contributing 11 wickets to his side.
3. South Africa- 8/10
South-Africa. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
South Africa played an aggressive brand of cricket in the league round which helped them to qualify for the semi-finals comfortably. Their batters looked fantastic in the majority of the tournament while their bowlers also did their jobs efficiently. In the second semi-final at Eden Gardens, their journey came to an end with a three-wicket defeat against Australia.
In the knockout contest, the Proteas got bundled out on 212 as their batters couldn’t display their mettle. Their bowlers put up some fight against the Aussie batters but failed to save the low total eventually as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc held their nerves and took the Men in Yellow home.
Taking advantage of India’s spin-friendly pitches, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi looked marvellous in the competition, picking up 24 wickets jointly in the tournament. Gerald Coetzee, who replaced Anrich Nortje in the squad, took 20 wickets in eight games and ended up as the top wicket-taker for South Africa in the tournament.
Marco Jansen delivered some amazing match-winning spells to the team with his bowling excellence. The lanky paceman got 17 wickets in nine matches. Premier speedsters Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi also looked decent with the ball scalping 13 and 10 wickets respectively.
2. India- 9/10
Mohammed-Shami. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
India played phenomenally under Rohit Sharma in the tournament but in the end, they couldn’t get the better of the Aussie side in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium and missed the golden chance to lift the trophy for the third time.
In the enormous contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami delivered three early breakthroughs but Travis Head showcased his spunky side and snatched the game from the Men in Blue. In the blockbuster ODI competition, Indian bowlers looked in great touch and delivered some brilliant match-winning moments to their team’s supporters.
Mohammed Shami clinched 24 wickets in seven contests and ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, despite warming benches in his team’s first four games. Jasprit Bumrah spearheaded India’s pace attack sensationally and ended up with 20 scalps in 11 matches. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav trapped 31 batters jointly and emerged as the best spin-bowling pair in the competition.
Also see: Most Wickets in ODI World Cup
1. Australia- 9.5/10
Australia. (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
After starting the competition with two crushing defeats, Australia made a comeback with their convincing victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Adam Zampa played a major role in both triumphs with his extraordinary spin-bowling, claiming four-wicket hauls. On Dharamshala’s difficult bowling track, Zampa showcased his bowling potential again.
This time, he dismissed New Zealand’s three main batters and became the most successful bowler for his side again. In the Aussie side’s scintillating title success, Zampa chipped in with 23 wickets in 11 games and emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition.
Josh Hazlewood’s performance in the tournament clearly shows why he is one of the best pacers in the cricketing world. The paceman got 16 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 4.81. He will be remembered as an unsung hero of this spectacular win. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins stepped up in the knockout matches and came heavily on South African and Indian batters. Starc picked up three-wicket hauls in both crucial matches.