Muralitharan worlds highest wicket-taker for second consecutive year

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the highest wicket-taker and the most prolific spinner ever in a calendar year during 2001.

Muralitharan took 80 wickets in 12 games, which equaled Alan Donald's 1998 haul and has only been bettered by Dennis Lillie, who took 85 wickets in 13 Tests during 1981.

It was the second successive year that Muralitharan, just 29, who is racing towards the 400 mark in record time with 382 Test wickets already in the bag, had been the world's most prodigious wicket-taker. In 2000 he had 75 victims in just ten games, which was a record for a spinner.

During the year the rubber wrested spin assassin snared seven five-wicket hauls and four consecutive ten-fors against India, Bangladesh and West Indies.

No other international bowled came close. Glen McGrath was the nearest with 68 wickets and he had the advantage of playing two more games.

His spinning rivals, Shane Warne (58 in 13 games) and Harbajan Singh (60 in 12 games), were also high up the annual wicket taking honours list.

Chaminda Vaas had his best ever year with 58 scalps, which secured him a fourth equal position with Warne.

Mahela Jayawardene was the sixth highest run scorer in the year (1053 at 55.42), whilst Thilan Samaraweera (Av. 144.66) and Hashan Tillakaratne (Av. 136.40) boasted the best averages in the world.