Which bowler has the best economy rate in ODIs? (04 July 2001)

The brooding beanpole from St. Vincent in the Windward Islands, Cameron Cuffy is in the midst of a splendid run in the Coca-Cola Cup. In the pipe opener against Zimbabwe, Cuffy won the Man of the Match award without scoring a run, taking a wicket or taking a catch, a most unusual occurrence. But his parsimonious ten over spell for just 20 runs clearly bowled over the adjudicator. In three matches, Cuffy has figures of 30-7-70-3 before winning a well-earned rest for the final round-robin clash against India on Wednesday. Indeed Cuffy has the best economy rate of any contemporary bowler in the game, giving away 3.76 runs per over in 29 ODIs. Cuffy is closely pursued by Andy Caddick (3.77) and Shaun Pollock (3.78).

The bowler with the best economy rate in history is also West Indian, a Barbadian this time, Joel Garner. 'Big Bird' conceded a niggardly 3.09 runs per over in 98 games and his average of 18.84 is also the best in the business. As they said, nobody, but nobody, could collar Big Bird. Perhaps only Imran Khan can claim that distinction, in West Indies' first ever game at Sharjah in November 1985. Entrusted to bowl the 50th over of the Pakistan innings, Garner disappeared for 22 including three sixes off Imran's wicked blade and closed with the unflattering figures of 9-1-59-1. What the scoreboard does not show however is that Imran was also dropped twice in the same over!

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