In an unexpected twist that no fast bowler would desire, Haris Rauf of Pakistan has left an indelible mark on the ICC World Cup records, clinching the undesirable distinction of delivering the worst bowling performance in the tournament's history.
Rauf's underwhelming performance saw him amass nine wickets but concede an astonishing 533 runs during the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. Over the course of nine matches, Rauf's bowling figures averaged 33.31, establishing the highest runs conceded by any bowler in a single edition of the World Cup.
The ignominious record was previously held by England's Adil Rashid, who relinquished 526 runs in the 2019 World Cup. Rauf has now surpassed this unfortunate milestone, etching his name into cricket history for all the wrong reasons.
Upon closer inspection of the records, Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madhushanka occupies the third spot for the worst bowling performance, conceding 525 runs in the same World Cup where Rashid held the previous record.
Australia's Mitchell Starc claims the fourth position with 502 runs in the 2019 World Cup, while Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman secures the fifth rank, having given away 484 runs in the same tournament.