Cricket has seen many legendary bowlers throughout the years, including Fred Trueman in the 1950s, Derek Underwood in the 60s and 70s, and Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, and Richard Hadlee in the 80s. In the 90s, bowlers like Curtley Ambrose, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis also had illustrious careers. Today, we will look at the bowlers who have taken the highest number of wickets across all three formats of international cricket. Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in International Cricket (Tests + ODIs +T20Is) Player Wickets Matches Country Span Muttiah Muralidaran 1347 495 Sri Lanka 1992-2011 Shane Warne 1001 339 Australia 1992-2007 James Anderson 991 400 England 2002-2024 Anil Kumble 956 403 India 1990-2008 Glenn McGrath 949 376 Australia 1993-2007 Wasim Akram 916 460 Pakistan 1984-2003 Stuart Broad 847 344 England 2006-2023 Shaun Pollock 829 423 South Africa 1995-2008 Waqar Younis 789 349 Pakistan 1989-2003 Tim Southee 765 387 New Zealand 2008-present Muttiah Muralidaran Image Source: Next Travel Sri Lanka Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralidaran has gained the reputation as the most successful bowler in the annals of the game of international cricket, with 1347 wickets between 1992 and 2011. His career was shrouded by a lot of controversy, which mostly surrounded his bowling action, which still sees heated debate. Muralidaran played 133 Test matches for Sri Lanka, taking 800 wickets at an average of 22.72, a record unlikely to be broken. In 350 ODI matches, he claimed 534 wickets at an average of 23.08. He took 13 wickets in 12 T20Is. Shane Warne Image Source: Herald Sun The late Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, without a doubt, has been regarded as the greatest spinner in the game. He is second on the list of highest wickets in international cricket. For all his lavish lifestyle and controversies, once he stepped onto the pitch, there was simply no stopping him. In his stellar career from 1992 to 2007, he took 1001 wickets, second only in cricket history. Warne did play 145 Tests for Australia, taking 708 wickets at an average of 25.41 with 37 five-wicket hauls. In 194 ODIs, the veteran took 293 wickets at an average of 25.73. Warne indeed had a successful turn with franchise T20 cricket towards the end of his career but never played any international T20s. Also Read | The Epic India vs Pakistan Cricket Rivalry: A Comprehensive Head-to-Head Analysis James Anderson Image Source: Film Zone James Anderson stands third in the list of most wickets taken in cricket history and easily has crossed 991 wickets taken in his career. He had a chance to surpass Shane Warne and reach at the second spot but he announced his retirement after playing his last test against West Indies in July 2024. His longevity since 2002 itself speaks volumes about his fitness and willpower. Anil Kumble Image Source: Power Sportz Indian legend, Anil Kumble is placed 4th on the list of highest wickets in international cricket. The moment that comes to one's mind when Anil Kumble is thought of, is the time he bowled with a bandage on his head and jaw because of the fracture he suffered while bowling in Antigua. It is precisely that very determination taken throughout his career from 1990 to 2008, harvesting 956 wickets in international cricket. Kumble bagged 619 Test wickets at an average of 29.65 from 132 matches and contributed 337 more from 271 ODIs. Glenn McGrath Image Source: Sky Sports Glenn McGrath has often been cited as the greatest seamer ever. His expertise and consistency across formats and tournaments were unmatched. He lies fifth in the history of cricket by taking 949 wickets in his career. The right-arm medium fast took 563 wickets from 124 Tests for Australia at an average of 21.63. He had much to boast about in the ODIs too, taking 387 wickets from 250 games at an average of 22.02. Wasim Akram Image Source: Reuters Another great fast bowler, Wasim Akram, with 916 wickets in international cricket is the sixth highest in this list. Known for his reverse swing, Akram took 414 wickets in 104 Tests for Pakistan with an average of 23.62. He has the second most wickets with 502 in ODIs from 356 matches with an average of 23.52. Also Read | Top 10 Best Wicket-Keepers in Cricket History Stuart Broad Image Source: Sportz Wiki Stuart Broad, who was often overshadowed by Jimmy Anderson, also left his mark with quite a few great spells. He took 847 wickets in Tests from 344 matches. Broad took 604 wickets in Tests with an average of 27.68 in 167 games and claimed 178 wickets in ODIs. Shaun Pollock Image Source: Techicy The main man in South African cricket, Shaun Pollock, follows with 829 wickets. A very fine bowling all-rounder, he took 421 wickets in 108 Tests at an average of 23.21. He was at his best in ODIs, too, claiming 393 wickets at an average of 24.50. Waqar Younis Image Source: CricTracker Waqar Younis was a reverse swing master who took 789 wickets in 349 games for Pakistan. In Tests, he had 373 wickets from 87 games at an average of 23.56 and strike rate of 43.4. He collected 416 wickets from 262 ODIs with an average of 23.84. Tim Southee Image Source: Cricket365 The experienced fast-bowler from New Zealand secured the 10th spot in the list of most wickets in international cricket after a decent performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. He surpassed the former Sri Lankan Pacer Chaminda Vaas to attain the position with 765 wickets in his bag. He has scalped 380 wickets in Test, 221 in ODIs and 164 wickets in T20Is. He is the leading wickets taker in the shortest format of the game. Also Read | Top 10 Record-Breaking Wins by Runs in ODI Cricket History