Last week's column was about batsmen with the lowest average in their last few international innings, after Ricky Ponting's ODI career was ended following 18 runs in five CB Series matches. This week's is the bowling equivalent, bowlers with the worst averages in the last few innings of their careers.
RP Singh could still play Test cricket for India; he's only 26 after all. But if he doesn't, his performances in his last five innings are the worst among all bowlers, ever. His last five Test innings were spread over more than three years. He bowled only four overs during the
Adelaide Test in January 2008 because of a hamstring injury, and took 0 for 14. His next appearances were at home against South Africa a couple of months later. He took 0 for 111 and 0 for 43
in Chennai, and 0 for 81
in Ahmedabad. It was the last the world saw of RP Singh for quite a while.
And then, in the summer of 2011, when injuries had struck down more bowlers than India's selectors seemed to know of, he was called to duty in England, with India plumbing new depths with every defeat. He had been out of the side for more than three years, and he had just been in Miami. He was pudgy, far from being match-fit, and struggled to hit 120kph. RP Singh finished with 0 for 118
at The Oval, and hasn't played a Test since. So in his last five innings, he has gone for 367 runs without a wicket.
Worst bowling average in the last five innings of a career - Tests (qualification: career minimum of 90 balls per match)
Player |
Career |
Mat |
Wkts
BBI
Ave
5
Balls
Runs
Wkts
Ave
List
42.05
1
546
367
0
22
25
4/52
65.24
0
654
362
1
362.00
0/107, 0/82, 1/92, 0/57, 0/24
49.79
4
444
354
1
4
1
1/68
294.00
0
586
294
1
294.00
0/105, 0/102, 0/10, 1/68, 0/9
45.42
0
516
265
1
12
17
5/166
83.23
1
468
259
1
259.00
0/52, 0/3, 1/71, 0/36, 0/97
79.00
0
384
252
1
10
7
3/73
105.14
0
396
229
1
229.00
0/37, 0/29, 0/28, 0/30, 1/105
41.94
2
588
225
1
13
41
5/50
35.07
3
863
449
2
224.50
0/50, 2/99, 0/81, 0/37, 0/182
29.21
5
496
224
1
46
51
4/18
40.94
0
472
222
1
222.00
0/2, 0/34, 0/80, 1/44, 0/62
27.88
3
508
207
1
21
33
4/68
41.66
0
373
203
1
203.00
0/78, 0/13, 0/59, 1/32, 0/21
36.50
1
610
194
0
6
6
3/37
84.00
0
348
194
0
-
0/26, 0/82, 0/69, 0/13, 0/4
33.82
0
444
194
1
27
80
6/119
33.10
3
390
194
1
194.00
0/48, 1/38, 0/72, 0/30, 0/6
76.95
0
414
193
1
32
98
7/65
29.30
6
330
190
1
190.00
0/48, 0/21, 0/8, 1/78, 0/35
Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull played 32 Tests and took 98 wickets at an average of 29. Acceptable figures for the 1990s. His career, however, ended prematurely and poorly due to back and knee injuries. After New Zealand's home Tests against India in 1998-99, in which Doull was the leading wicket-taker, with 12 at 16 apiece, he had a career average of 25.78 after 26 Tests. His next three series were poor - one wicket at home against South Africa, one in England, and one more against Australia at home. Doull averaged 146 for three wickets in his
last ten Test innings, which is the third-highest average for bowlers in their final ten innings.
There has been talk about how the India fast bowler Ishant Sharma is unlucky because he bowls well but gets ordinary results. Even India's outgoing bowling coach, Eric Simons, called Ishant "one of the unluckiest bowlers". That is debatable, but Ishant's average of 58.55 in his last 12 Tests - against West Indies, England and Australia - is among the highest for bowlers in their
last 20 innings.
Who is the only West Indian to have bowled at least 100 balls in one-day internationals and
not taken a wicket? He played four ODIs against Australia and Zimbabwe during the triangular series in Australia in 2000-01, and another match against Zimbabwe in Sri Lanka in December 2001. He also played six Tests - three against Australia, one each against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and India - and took 12 wickets between 2000 and 2002.
The answer is Marlon Black. He is also one of
three bowlers to have bowled more than 200 deliveries in ODIs without a wicket.
Worst bowling average in the last five innings of a career - ODIs (qualification: career minimum of 30 balls per match)
Player |
Career |
Mat |
Wkts
BBI
Ave
5
Balls
Runs
Wkts
Ave
List
37.91
2
212
265
1
6
1
1/26
251.00
0
234
251
1
251.00
0/49, 0/64, 0/66, 1/26, 0/46
108.40
0
306
213
1
70
75
4/22
37.01
0
270
213
1
213.00
0/46, 0/46, 1/33, 0/53, 0/35
33.62
0
210
213
1
8
2
1/31
141.50
0
180
204
1
204.00
0/43, 0/53, 1/31, 0/53, 0/24
201.00
0
159
201
1
21
17
4/42
40.58
0
192
198
0
-
0/46, 0/51, 0/26, 0/31, 0/44
-
0
228
196
0
39
42
3/11
36.02
0
188
191
1
191.00
1/47, 0/38, 0/25, 0/37, 0/44
48.67
0
234
189
1
17
16
4/19
30.87
0
214
189
1
189.00
0/54, 0/49, 1/41, 0/19, 0/26
32.64
1
210
189
1
46
42
3/34
43.42
0
185
186
1
186.00
0/41, 0/12, 1/56, 0/38, 0/39
41.97
0
288
185
0
12
5
1/11
71.60
0
222
185
1
185.00
1/32, 0/29, 0/34, 0/36, 0/54
34.68
0
216
184
1
8
7
4/12
35.42
0
180
184
1
184.00
0/18, 0/47, 0/50, 0/30, 1/39
25.84
1
264
181
0
80
72
4/28
38.36
0
235
180
1
180.00
1/20, 0/20, 0/38, 0/38, 0/64
Two allrounders involved in the ongoing ODI series between New Zealand and South Africa haven't been in good bowling form of late. Albie Morkel bowled 108.5 overs in the last
20 innings (in which he has bowled) and took only nine wickets at 72.66 apiece. His economy rate is a fraction over 6.00 an over as well. Morkel was not called upon to bowl by AB de Villiers in the
first ODI in Wellington.
New Zealand's James Franklin was asked to bowl by Brendon McCullum at Westpac Stadium, but only for one over. Franklin has sent down 98.3 overs in his previous 20 ODIs and taken only eight wickets, including three in one innings, at an average of 66.25. Both Morkel and Franklin are among the bowlers in the table of worst averages in the last 20 innings.