The 6 best fast bowlers to play cricket
At the time of writing, most countries have imposed strict quarantine restrictions, and it is currently almost impossible to watch a live Cricket match.
However, that certainly doesn’t mean we can’t satisfy our cravings by reading about the greatest fast bowlers of all time, right?
Whether you’re a batsman or a bowler, you’ll agree that one of the most exciting things about cricket is fast bowling. It is an enjoyable and challenging part of the game that keeps the viewers’ interest.
What better spectacle than watching a fast bowler burst into the game at more than 140 km per hour? If you are a true cricket fan, you must have seen some of the best fast bowlers who inspired us with accuracy, swing and pace.
James Anderson – most wickets of all
‘Jimmy’ Anderson came to the England national team in 2003 as a thin, veiny fast bowler who hit the ball on both sides, but was questioned for his actions.
His head usually pointed to the ground when released rather than focusing on the stumps, which annoyed some of the old-schoolers, but he did not pay attention to them.
Glen McGrath is an Australian legend:
Accuracy, focus and class are the words that would be most suitable to describe the Bowling of the great Australians. He always liked to keep things simple, and was famous for his long deliveries.
What’s remarkable here is that McGrath is used to relying on this length and consistency more than his own pace. His career is littered with impressive records, including one in which he demonstrated his talent as a batsman and established a record partnership with Shane Warne.
Wasim Akram is the most versatile bowler in history:
The cricket world has probably never seen a more talented cricketer than wasim Akram. He was a complete kit with incredible bowling skills. From deadly gorillas and deadly Yorkists to the wonderful ability to hit the ball both ways, Akram was no less than a ball magician! He was certainly an attacking bowler, but his backswing experience made him deadly even with an old ball.
The reason we think wasim Akram was the most versatile bowler in the Cricket world is because he outplayed everyone in every situation and in any coverage!
Whether on the fast-growing green fields of England or the bustling footpaths of the West Indies, Akram has never disappointed cricket fans. Despite the fact that Akram was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 30, he never lost his passion and continued to play for almost 7 more years. With an average of 23 points, Akram scored 414 goals in 104 international matches. The percentage of strikes was also less than 55, which is quite impressive. Also, with a save rate of less than 4 in his entire career, wasim Akram took 502 ODI wickets (the most of any fast bowler).
Dennis Lilly is the Godfather of all Pacers:
Well, to say Dennis Lilly is the best fast bowler to date wouldn’t be an exaggeration, would it?
To this day it is the perfect benchmark for perfection in fast bowling. The Australian superstar was idolized and hailed by cricket greats such as Sir Richard Hadley, Malcolm Marshall and Imran Khan. They unanimously agree that Dennis Lilly is second to none. His dynamic combination of pace and precision earned him success throughout his career. Lilly made her test debut on January 29, 1971 in a match against the main rivals of the England national team, and so far she has been an inspiration to all fast bowlers.
Unlike Vassim Akram, Lilly was not a master of the backswing, but his slow cutter made him equally dangerous with the old ball. His records speak for themselves, as it only took him 70 games to get to 355 checkpoints, and that’s with an average below 24! Sounds amazing, right? He was the first fast bowler to reach the 350-point mark, and his strike rate was 48. Lilly played only 48 ODI matches and scored 103 goals in 63 matches with a save ratio of almost 3.6. But honestly, these statistics cannot show what Dennis Lilly was capable of.
Sydney Barnes is an experienced Englishman:
It may be an unpopular and unexpected choice, but true fast bowling fans know why we chose Sidney Barnes. Most fans these days have probably never heard of the name of this English superstar because he made his debut in a test match on December 13, 1901 against Australia. Even though Barnes doesn’t have many wickets associated with his name, he has the best average for a test match to date! He took 189 wickets in just 27 international test matches at a remarkable average of 16.43.
Sir Kerty Ambrose – West Indies legend:
The West Indies once literally ruled the cricket world. From legendary batsmen to unusually fast bowlers, at that time they had the most perfect cricket team. When we talk about the greatest fast bowlers of all time, mentioning the short Ambrose is mandatory. The 6’7″ West Indies has a bowling record of over 1, 000 opening overs in 98 test matches with over 400 wickets. The couple of Courtney Walsh and Kerty Ambrose used to terrify hitters, and for all the logical reasons. His last match was in 2000 against Pakistan and since then the world has not seen anyone like him.
The final verdict of the greatest fast bowlers of all time:
As we said earlier, choosing six out of hundreds is almost impossible. Pacers like Mike Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, sean Pollock and Kapil Dev are also not far behind during their peaks. After all, it is fast bowling that makes Cricket one of the best games of the Moderna era. Many young people were inspired by these great men, and many others would have done the same.