5 bowling achievements by unlikely players

5. Sanath Jayasuriya is the only cricketer with 300+ wickets in ODI’s to have scored 12000+ runs

Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya has taken more wickets in ODIs than Australian super star Shane Warne.

• In 1996 he was Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World and in 2005 Cricinfo showed that since the 1996 World Cup, he had effected the seventh highest number of run-outs in ODI cricket of any fieldsman. However for many it comes as a surprise that in the early years of his career, Jayasuriya was considered mainly a bowler who could bat a bit; his selection in the U-19 team was based on his bowling performance and his 440 international wickets is testimony to his bowling ability.

• What is incredible in his ODI bowling career is the fact that he is perhaps the only opening batsman to have four five-wicket hauls under his belt with best figures of 6/29 against England at Moratuwa in 1993. The astounding fact is that Sanath Jayasuriya with 323 scalps has more wickets in ODIs than Australian spin legend Shane Warne who has 293 dismissals in his tally!