Fast bowlers have always been a fascinating component of cricket. Be it a grassy pitch or a dead flat pitch, fast bowlers are always the go-to option for captains to take wickets. Since the inception of cricket, Fast bowlers have been painted in glorious words. There have been some insanely fast bowlers in cricket. This article will take
you through all the details that you know about the fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Listed below are the all-time 15 Fastest Bowlers in cricket history:
1. Shoaib Akhtar
Also known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ is the fastest bowler in cricket history. During the 2003 ICC World
Cup (50 Overs), Akhtar bowled the fastest delivery recorded at 161.3 km/hr (100.23 mph). He played 163 ODIs and picked 247 wickets. In 47 test matches, he picked 178 wickets.
2. Brett Lee
Brett Lee was extremely accurate at express pace. In 221 ODIs he picked 380 wickets. In 76 test matches, he picked 310 wickets.
3. Shaun William Tait
He had a slinging action who would bowl at a fierce pace. Shaun had a short international cricket career affected by injuries. Yet he left an indelible mark on international cricket. In 35 ODIs he picked 62 wickets. Shaun played 3 tests picking up 5 wickets
4. Jeffery Thomson
He was the fastest bowler of his era. He had an unusual, but mighty effective, slinging action. He picked up wickets in 50 ODIs. As far as test cricket is concerned, the slinger grabbed 200 wickets in 51 matches.
5. Mitchell Starc
Star is one of the greats of modern-day cricket. It’s not easy to swing the ball at over 150 km/hr but Starc does it impeccably. He has 236 wickets in 121 ODIs. In 89 tests he has 357 wickets.
6. Andy Roberts
He was one of the most feared bowlers of his era also known as the hit man. He played 56 ODIs getting 87 wickets. He got 202 wickets in 47 tests.
7. Fidel Edwards
Pace sensation Fidel Edwards from the Caribbean rocked the cricket world with his entry. He played 50 ODIs and netted 60 wickets. In 55 tests he has 165 wickets.
8. Mitchell Johnson
His nickname is the Bull. He is a celebrated Aussie cricketer who has picked up 313 wickets in 73 tests. He played 153 ODIs picking up 239 wickets.
9. Muhammad Sami
Nicknamed ‘The Bullet’. His career spanned from 2001 to 2016. During his career, he played 36 tests picking 85 wickets. In ODIs, he picked up 121 wickets in 87 matches.
10. Shane Bond
He played for New Zealand. He faced many injuries in his career due to which he could not play as much cricket as he should have. He played 18 tests picking 87 wickets. In ODI he took 147 wickets in 82 matches.
11. Nantie Hayward
He played for South Africa from 1998 to 2004. In 16 tests he picked up 54 wickets. The pacer got 21 wickets in 21 games.
12. Jason Gillespie
The 6 feet 5 inches lanky bowler from Australia played 71 tests and 97 ODIs. He picked up 259 and 142 wickets in Tests and ODIs respectively. Currently, he is the head coach of Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team in tests.
13. Waqar Younis
He is also known as Toe Crusher Or Bhurewala Express. In 87 tests he picked 373 wickets while in 262 ODIs he picked 416 wickets.
14. Allan Donald
He played for South Africa from 1991 to 2003. Donald picked up 330 wickets in 72 tests. He played 164 ODIs and picked 272 wickets.
15. Makhya Ntini
He was a regular feature in the South African cricket team from 1998 to 2011. He played 101 tests and bagged 390 wickets. He played 173 ODIs picking 266 wickets.
Fastest Bowlers In IPL History
Fast bowlers play pivotal roles in their IPL teams. The pacers have demonstrated fiery spills in the IPL. IPL is a great platform for fast bowlers to demonstrate their pace and skills. Let’s look at some of the Fastest Bowlers in IPL history.
One can see that Indian Cricket is producing fast bowlers regularly which was once lacking. One of the factors in upcoming fast bowlers in Indian Cricket is IPL. IPL has cricketers from all over India. The rise to fame of fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Muhammad Shami, Umran Malik, Muhammad Siraj, etc. is a credit to IPL.
TOP 10 Fastest Bowlers In India
Indian Fast Bowling has come a long way. In the past, India had a few fast bowlers who could bowl at a high pace including Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath etc. But times have changed.
India has worked a lot on bowling action, run-up, use of the non-bowling arm, steady head, and other dynamics of fast bowling.
In the recent success of the Indian team, it has been witnessed that the fast bowlers have played a crucial role. Indian Fast bowlers take wickets when required, putting pressure on the opposition and intimidating the batters with their deadly bounders and toe-crushing yorkers.
Fast bowling is crucial to cricket in all three formats whether ODIs, T20s, or Tests.
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Top 5 Fastest Bowlers In Pakistan
Pakistan has a history of creating genuine fast bowlers. Fast bowling is the strength of the Pakistan Cricket team, winning the team many matches. In the 90’s, the two W’s Waqar and Wasim were known for their speed, bouncers, and yorkers. Listed below are the 5 fastest bowlers in the history of Pakistan Cricket.
All the fastest bowlers in cricket history had the requisite skills, pace, agility, and dedication to be named the fastest in cricket. Cricket fans always wait to watch these fast bowlers tear in and bamboozle the wickets. In the days ahead and with the skills of the fast bowler who knows we might witness a fast bowler-breaking record of 161.3 km/hr.
FAQs
Who Is The Fastest Bowler In Cricket History?
Shoaib Akhtar has bowled the fastest bowl in cricket history at 161.3 km/hr.
Who Is The Fastest Bowler In Indian Cricket?
Umran Malik is the fastest bowler in India so far.
Who Can Break the Record Of Fastest Bowler?
In an interview, the current record holder of the fastest ball, Shoaib Akhtar, said that Umran Malik from India can break his record.
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