The List

Steve Waugh - The run-out man

If you had to choose someone to bat for your life, you'd do well by picking Steve Waugh. But while doing that he may just run out a few of your mates in the process

Travis Basevi and George Binoy

Some statistics, like Bradman's average and the number of centuries that Gavaskar made, are known to pretty much every cricket buff. But The List will bring you facts and figures that aren't so obvious, adding fuel to those fiery debates about the most valuable middle-order bat, and the most useless tailender. If there's a particular List that you would like to see, e-mail us with your comments and suggestions.

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Marvan Atapattu: a contender for the run-out crown © Getty Images

If you had to choose someone to bat for your life, you'd do well to pick Steve Waugh. But while doing that, he may just run out a few of your mates in the process.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Arjuna Ranatunga are the usual suspects for players involved in the most run-outs in one-dayers, but Waugh beats them both. Waugh has been involved in a whopping 77 run-outs in his 288 innings. And he's got his partner out 50 times in ODIs. Wasim Akram and Inzamam have the infamous honour of being stranded 38 times but Marvan Atapattu, currently on 37 (before the sixth ODI against India), might soon be the third person sharing the limelight if he isn't careful with his running. Steve and Mark Waugh weren't identical twins but the run-out trait was something Junior shared as well. He was out in that fashion 32 times.

In Tests, though, Steve Waugh was involved in just 27 such dismissals in 260 innings. But the figures are viewed in a new light when you realise that his partner was run out 23 times while Waugh was dismissed on just four occasions.

Most Run Outs - ODIs
Player Span Inns Run Outs %
Wasim Akram (Pak) 1984-2003 280 38 13.57
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Asia/Pak) 1991-2005 322 38 11.80
MS Atapattu (SL) 1990-2005 230 37 16.09
M Azharuddin (India) 1985-2000 308 32 10.39
ME Waugh (Aust) 1988-2002 236 32 13.56
A Ranatunga (SL) 1982-1999 255 30 11.76
Mohammad Yousuf (Asia/Pak) 1998-2005 191 30 15.71
R Dravid (Asia/ICC/India) 1996-2005 249 29 11.65
AR Border (Aust) 1979-1994 252 28 11.11
PA de Silva (SL) 1984-2003 296 27 9.12

Click here for the full list of players run out the most in ODIs
Click here for the corresponding Test statistics

The Sri Lankans have an unfortunate record when it comes to running out their partners. The top three pairs of batsmen involved in run-outs are Ranatunga-Aravinda de Sliva with 14 fatal mix-ups and Romesh Kaluwitharna-Sanath Jayasuriya with 13. Atapattu-Jayasuriya were involved in 12, with Atapattu dismissed nine times.


Running Out a Partner - ODIs
Player Span Pships Run Outs %
SR Waugh (Aust) 1986-2002 534 50 9.36
Ijaz Ahmed (Pak) 1986-2000 458 45 9.83
PA de Silva (SL) 1984-2003 611 42 6.87
A Ranatunga (SL) 1982-1999 498 40 8.03
CZ Harris (NZ) 1990-2004 470 40 8.51
MG Bevan (Aust) 1994-2004 464 40 8.62
Javed Miandad (Pak) 1975-1996 501 39 7.78
A Flower (Zimb) 1992-2003 445 37 8.31
M Azharuddin (India) 1985-2000 585 36 6.15
SR Tendulkar (India) 1990-2005 680 34 5.00

Click here for the full list of players who have run out their partners the most in ODIs
Click here for the corresponding Test statistics
Steve Waugh: not the safest batsman to run with © Getty Images

Looking at run-outs as a percentage of a player's dismissals, the list is dominated by tailenders and lower and middle-order batsmen, keeping in tune with the frantic running that is characteristic of the slog overs in an ODI. (Click here for the full list of players with the highest percentage of run-outs in ODIs)

The list of fielders scoring the most run-outs has five Sri Lankans in it - testimony to what a fine fielding outfit they have been down the years. The awesome Jonty Rhodes is tenth on the list with 15 run-outs, despite having retired in February 2003.


Most Run Outs Effected (since 1999 World Cup, first player credited in run out) - ODIs
Player Span Mat Run Outs RO/Mat
DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL) 1999-2005 170 23 0.1352
MS Atapattu (SL) 1999-2005 167 21 0.1257
RT Ponting (Aust/ICC) 1999-2005 162 21 0.1296
Yuvraj Singh (India) 2000-2005 131 21 0.1603
A Symonds (Aust) 1999-2005 126 20 0.1587
Younis Khan (Pak) 2000-2005 118 20 0.1694
ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) 1999-2005 166 19 0.1144
HH Gibbs (SAf) 1999-2005 145 17 0.1172
Mohammad Yousuf (Asia/Pak) 1999-2005 182 16 0.0879
JN Rhodes (SAf) 1999-2003 94 15 0.1595

Click here for the full list of fielders affecting the most run-outs in ODIs since the 1999 World Cup
Click here for the corresponding Test statistics

Trivia

  • You'll be hard-pressed to find a better judge of a run than Kapil Dev. In his 184 Test innings he was never run-out and he ran-out his partner just twice. Mudassar Nazar, Graeme Hick and Peter May have also never been run-out in tests.

  • Maurice Odumbe has never been run out in 59 one-day innings, but he's run his partner out nine times.

  • The match between India and New Zealand at Napier in 1999 had eight run-outs - the most in an ODI

    • If there's a particular List that you would like to see, e-mail us with your comments and suggestions.

    Marvan AtapattuWasim AkramInzamam-ul-HaqSteve Waugh

    George Binoy is editorial assistant of Cricinfo