Bowling average

A number of flaws have been identified for the statistic, most notable among these the fact that a bowler who has taken no wickets cannot have a bowling average, as dividing by zero does not give a result.

[9][10] A number of factors other than purely the ability level of the bowler have an effect on a player's bowling average.

The bowling average tables in Test and first-class cricket are headed by players who competed in the nineteenth century,[11] a period when pitches were uncovered and some were so badly looked after that they had rocks on them.

"[13] Other factors which provided an advantage to bowlers in that era was the lack of significant safety equipment; batting gloves and helmets were not worn, and batsmen had to be warier.

[17] In One Day Internationals, the varying criteria set by ESPNcricinfo and CricketArchive result in same player being listed as holding the record.

ESPNcricinfo has the stricter restriction, requiring 1,000 deliveries, where Sandeep Lamichhane is the record-holder, having claimed his wickets at an average of 18.59.

[9][18] In women's One Day International cricket, Caroline Barrs tops the CricketArchive list with an average of 9.52,[19] but by ESPNcricinfo's stricter guidelines, the record is instead held by Gill Smith's 12.53.

[10][21] Domestically, the records for first-class cricket are dominated by players from the nineteenth century, who make up sixteen of the top twenty by ESPNcricinfo's criteria of 5,000 deliveries.

The leading players from the twentieth century are Stephen Draai and Vincent Barnes with averages of just under twelve,[11] both of whom claimed the majority of their wickets in the South African Howa Bowl tournament during the apartheid era.