Most wickets in Champions Trophy history: Glenn McGrath
Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath sits in the fifth spot, along with James Anderson in the list of most wickets in ICC Champions Trophy history. Both pace legends have bagged 21 wickets apiece in 12 matches.
Australian legend Glenn McGrath is among the greatest fast bowlers to grace international cricket. Known for his impeccable line and length, McGrath became a symbol of consistency during his 14-year-long international career. His accuracy and consistency made McGrath one of the most economical and successful fast bowlers of all time.
The pace bowler was a member of the Australian side that won three successive World Cup titles in a row - the 1999 ODI World Cup, the 2003 ODI World Cup, and the 2007 ODI World Cup. In the 2003 final against India, he took the match and World Cup-winning wicket of Zaheer Khan and bowed out of international cricket after winning the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.
McGrath has bagged the seventh-highest number of ODI wickets (381) and holds the record for most wickets (71) in the ODI World Cup.
Besides winning the World Cup thrice, McGrath was also a part of the team that won the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.
Overall, McGrath played 12 matches across three Champions Trophy editions. In the top-wicket-takers list, McGrath sits in the fifth spot along with James Anderson. Both pace legends have bagged 21 wickets apiece in 12 matches. However, McGrath is slightly better than Anderson on the economy tally, with 4.03 as compared to Anderson's 4.50. The Aussie legend is also ahead on average with 19.61, as compared to the Englishman bowled with an average of 21.76.
Moreover, McGrath is among a select few to pick up a five-wicket haul in the Champions Trophy. The Aussie icon produced a legendary spell against New Zealand in the 2002 edition.
McGrath showed his bowling prowess in the fourth match of the 2022 ICC Champions Trophy against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand at the SSC in Colombo.
After batters put Australia on top with a stellar display, the bowling unit, led by McGrath, destroyed the Kiwi batting line-up in a lopsided contest. Almost all of the Aussie batters made contributions with the bat, but it was Damien Martyn who stood the tallest with a sensational 73-run knock to help his side post a strong total of 296/7 in 50 overs.
Rampant McGrath etches his name in CT history books
Australian bowlers didn't give an inch to the Kiwi batters, who fell like a pack of cards against a rampant attack led by McGrath. Jason Gillespie drew first blood by dismissing Nathan Astle for a duck in the second over. But it was McGrath who inflicted the real damage to the Kiwis with a breathtaking new-ball spell. The experienced fast bowler dismissed New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent in his second over and continued to apply pressure with accurate bowling.
Mathew Sinclair, Scott Styris and Jacob Oram followed each other in the hut as McGrath, remarkably, completed his five-wicket haul in his first spell, in the 13th over of the innings.
Australia won the match by 132 runs after bowling out the Black Caps for 132 in 26.2 overs, with McGrath, unsurprisingly, picking up the Player of the Match award after bowling one of the best spells in the history of the Champions Trophy.