Cricket World Cup History: 3 highest wicket-takers in the tournament 

With the ICC World Cup, the biggest cricketing event on the planet having commenced just under a week ago, all eyes are on the squads of all 10 participating teams.

One key point every analyst has discussed in detail is that the World Cup is taking place in England this year. This would mean that the role of pacers become extremely important due to the green, bouncing, swinging tracks one can expect.

Coincidentally, statistics further go on to prove that fast-bowlers have been more valuable as well as successful throughout the 11 World Cups in history. 2 out of the 3 highest wicket-takers in the history of this prestigious tournament have all been pacers.

Here are the 3 highest wicket-takers in World Cup history.

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#1 Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath after taking 7/15 against Namibia in a World Cup match.

Glenn McGrath, one of the most celebrated legends of the game is a World Cup maestro. During the 4 World Cups McGrath took part in, he picked up a mind-boggling 71 wickets merely 39 matches. These also include two 5-wicket hauls as well as nine 3-wicket hauls throughout the 4 World Cups he has been a part of.

Furthermore, in the 1999 edition of this tournament, McGrath picked up 18 scalps, helping Australia win their second title. His valuable contributions did not stop there. In 2003, when the World Cup traveled to South Africa, Glenn McGrath was a huge asset to the Australian squad picking up 21 vital wickets. In this edition of the tournament, McGrath ended as the 3rd highest wicket-taker and once again played a huge role in his country being able to defend the title.

However, McGrath made sure his last World Cup would be the most memorable. The Australian team travelled to the West Indies in 2007 where Australia looked to defend their title for the second consecutive time. Through the course of this tournament, Glenn McGrath's bowling was lethal. He broke the spine of almost every batting line-up he faced, taking a spectacular total of 26 wickets - the most in any single edition of the tournament and ensured Australia completed a record hat-trick of titles.

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