Most ducks in ODI World Cup belong to New Zealand’s Nathan Astle, who had five ducks to his name. The former New Zealand opening batter will not be proud of this record, and so would be any other batter. The ODI World Cup is a tournament where players want to make a mark.
We will look at the unfortunate players who had many ducks in their name in the ODI World Cup.
Most Ducks in ODI World Cup
Getting dismissed for a duck is the most annoying thing for a batter. And if it is at the biggest stage, it is even more frustrating. The most ducks in the ODI World Cup belonged to New Zealand’s Nathan Astle. Here’s a look at five prominent names in international cricket with the unfortunate record of most ducks in an ODI World Cup.
Nathan Astle (5 Ducks)
The New Zealand batter, who holds the record for the fastest double hundred in Test cricket, played 22 ODI World Cup games, scoring 403 runs with a lowly average of 20. In his World Cup career, which began in 1996 and continued until 2003, Astle accounted for five ducks, making him the player with the most ducks in ODI World Cup.
Ijaz Ahmed (5 Ducks)
Ijaz Ahmed, Pakistan’s top scorer in the 1999 World Cup final, is joint-highest on the list of the most ducks in ODI World Cup. The right-handed batter’s ODI World Cup career stretched from 1987 to 1999, where he played 29 matches and accounted for 516 runs with an average of 23.46. Ijaz was dismissed for a duck five times in the 50-over mega event.
AB de Villiers (4 Ducks)
It is hard to believe, but AB de Villiers is also among the list of players with most ducks in ODI World Cup. The legendary cricketer has played 23 matches and accounted for 1207 runs in the World Cup but also had four ducks to his name. De Villiers was dismissed for a duck in his ODI World Cup debut against the Netherlands in the 2007 edition.
Eoin Morgan (4 Ducks)
Former World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan is another surprising name on this list. The Dublin-born cricketer, who represented Ireland and later switched to England, has registered four ducks in the tournament’s history. Two of the four ducks have come while playing in Ireland jersey in the 2007 World Cup.
Inzamam ul Haq (4 Ducks)
Legendary Pakistan cricketer Inzamam ul Haq had his off days in the World Cup. The 1992 World Cup winner, notorious for running out non-strikers and himself, has four ducks in his ODI World Cup. Despite playing in five World Cups, Inzamam failed to score a hundred and only has an average of 24.
Players with 4+ Ducks in ODI World Cup
| Player | Country | Ducks |
| Nathan Astle | New Zealand | 5 |
| Ijaz Ahmed | Pakistan | 5 |
| Kyle McCallan | Ireland | 4 |
| Darren Bravo | West Indies | 4 |
| Keith Arthurton | West Indies | 4 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | 4 |
| Kris Srikkanth | India | 4 |
| Eoin Morgan | Ireland/England | 4 |
| Inzamam ul Haq | Pakistan | 4 |
Among Indian players with most ducks in ODI World Cup, Kris Srikkanth has the highest number of ducks with four, while pacers Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath have three ducks in their name.
Concluding Thoughts
Scoring the most ducks is not something to be proud of. But as seen above, the best players have struggled to get going in the ODI World Cup. Legendary names like De Villers, Inzamam, and Morgan have had plenty of bad outings on the big stage.
Also Read Most Fifties in ODI World Cup – Top 5 Batters
FAQs about Most Ducks in ODI World Cup
Nathan Astle and Ijaz Ahmed jointly hold the record for most ducks in ODI World Cup – 5 ducks.
Among Indian players, who has the most ducks in ODI World Cup?
With four ducks, Kris Srikkanth has the most ducks by an Indian in the ODI World Cup.
Eoin Morgan was dismissed for a duck while playing for Ireland and England.
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