Cricket
Who Was the Best Test Bowler of the 2000s? A Ranking
Test cricket is laden with drama. Matches often hang on a knife-edge, and while we have been treated to supreme batting displays over the years, the bowlers deserve plenty of credit for their sustained spells of excellence. The early 2000s heralded some great spin bowlers, but the quickies were often game-changers who could grab prized wickets and flip an innings on its head. We have shone a light on the 2000s cricket bowling legends who left a huge impact, most notably Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, and Glenn McGrath. But who was the best Test bowler of the 2000s? SportsBoom has taken a measured approach, using multi-layered analysis to reach a concrete conclusion.
Glenn McGrath poses after receiving the pink caps//Getty Images
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best Bowlers of the 2000s
This evaluation combines a statistical analysis of their performances throughout the decade with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking of the top bowlers of the noughties. Our ‘SB Market Index’ is a bespoke model dovetailing stats with expert opinions that gave a transparent set of results that were devoid of bias.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each bowler is featured in discussions of the greatest bowlers of the 2000s era.
Industry Insights
| Source Name | M Muralitharan | M Ntini | SK Warne | A Kumble | Harbhajan Singh | B Lee | GD McGrath | SM Pollock | MJ Hoggard | WPUJC Vaas |
| Wisden – “Cricketers of the 2000s” Retrospective | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ESPNcricinfo – “Team of the 2000s” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricbuzz – “Decade in Review: The 2000s” | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – “2000s Legends” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| The Guardian – “Defining Cricketers of the Decade” | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricket.com.au – “Australia’s Golden Era Bowlers” | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – “Best Bowler of the 2000s” Poll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bleacher Report – “Ranking the Top Bowlers of the 2000s” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| The Cricketer – “Faces of the Noughties” article | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TalkSPORT – “Best Ashes Performers of the 2000s” | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 9 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
SB Score
| Player | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | 5-fers | 10-fers | SB Score |
| M Muralitharan | 565 | 20.97 | 50.95 | 49 | 20 | 1.000 |
| GD McGrath | 297 | 20.53 | 51.48 | 14 | 2 | 0.840 |
| SK Warne | 357 | 25.17 | 50.78 | 21 | 6 | 0.835 |
| M Ntini | 380 | 28.64 | 52.84 | 18 | 4 | 0.785 |
| B Lee | 303 | 31.27 | 53.82 | 9 | - | 0.678 |
| SM Pollock | 260 | 24.76 | 61.08 | 6 | 1 | 0.675 |
| MJ Hoggard | 248 | 30.50 | 56.08 | 7 | 1 | 0.638 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 322 | 30.31 | 64.30 | 23 | 5 | 0.636 |
| A Kumble | 355 | 31.02 | 63.79 | 20 | 5 | 0.636 |
| WPUJC Vaas | 247 | 29.69 | 65.12 | 8 | 1 | 0.605 |
This score is calculated based on three key career metrics during the 2000s: Bowling Average (40% weightage), Bowling Strike Rate (35% weightage), and Total Wickets (25% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | SK Warne | 0.835 | 10 | 8.167 |
| 2 | GD McGrath | 0.840 | 10 | 8.168 |
| 3 | M Muralitharan | 1.000 | 9 | 7.400 |
| 4 | SM Pollock | 0.675 | 4 | 3.335 |
| 5 | B Lee | 0.678 | 4 | 3.336 |
| 6 | M Ntini | 0.785 | 3 | 2.557 |
| 7 | A Kumble | 0.636 | 3 | 2.527 |
| 8 | MJ Hoggard | 0.638 | 2 | 1.728 |
| 9 | Harbhajan Singh | 0.636 | 1 | 0.927 |
| 10 | WPUJC Vaas | 0.605 | 1 | 0.921 |
The Kings of Consistency: Warne and McGrath
In redefining the art of leg spin, Shane Warne’s 2000s record was superlative, and he transcended the game. A colourful character, he had many variations in his armoury, including the flipper, and he was often a decisive factor in Ashes series with England. The late Warne underpinned his legendary status with a perfect ‘Industry Insights’ score.
Glenn McGrath’s bowling average, meanwhile, was extraordinary (20.53). As one of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers, McGrath anchored the Aussie attack superbly. He was generally immaculate with his line and length, probing off stump with much success. Brazen, but unwavering in his mindset, McGrath, like Warne, returned a perfect ‘Industry Insights’ score.
The Tireless Workhorses: Pollock and Lee
An exponent of extreme speed, Brett Lee was a swing bowling phenomenon and he could do extraordinary things with the old ball. He often tormented batsmen, and when he steamed into the crease, you knew something special would happen. Lee’s solid ‘SB Score’ was backed up by a sound ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
Shaun Pollock, meanwhile, was tireless for South Africa, and he made top batsmen look ordinary. Like Lee, he returned an excellent ‘SB Score’, cementing his place among the elite who made the 2000s cricket era nostalgic for bowling.
Conclusion on a Golden Era of Bowling
In summary, the parameters of the best bowlers debate of the 2000s often centre around pitting Muralitharan vs Warne and Warne vs McGrath against each other. Judging by our results, which leaned heavily towards expert consensus, there was little separating McGrath and Warne at the top of the rankings.
However, Muralitharan’s statistical dominance means he deserves to be a part of the conversation, and cricket fans were lucky to see the trio in their pomp.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.