Cricket has always been considered a Batsman’s Game due to new rules laid out by ICC. The game has gone in favor of batsmen most of the time. But still, Bowlers over the years have made cricket watchable, There has been a time where bowlers were lethal and match winners. Over the years, cricket has seen not only irreplaceable batsmen on the field but also a horde of fast bowlers who sent shivers down the spine of the best batsmen with their swing and precise beamers.
There has been a significant number of bowlers who have been called greats but Choosing the top has always been a tricky task. Here we’ve refreshed the list of the best medium/fast bowlers in cricketing history.
Brett Lee:
Former cricketer Brett Lee earned his reputation as the best fast bowler over the years. He had an astonishing career record of 310 Test wickets, 280 ODI wickets & 487 First-Class wickets. He was one of the Fastest Bowler in the world. He Bowled at 161.1 km/hr Speed against New Zealand. He is also a multi-time World Cup winner. He has a fierce Rivalry with Sachin Tendulkar.
Wasim Akram:
The man was part of the 1992 World Cup-winning team and was named man of the match for his performances of 3-49. The Sultan of Swing has been voted the best left-hander. Wasim became the first man to reach 300, 400, and 500 ODI wickets and was considered as the best ODI bowler in history. He got 414 Test Wickets to his name in only 104 Test Matches while his ODI Record is even better with 502 wickets in 356 Matches.
Glenn McGrath:
Glenn McGrath was rated number one by many including fans and cricketing minds. He ended his career as a multi-time World Cup player with four finals and three wins while his wife Jane was battling cancer. Undoubtedly He has been the Best Australian fast bowler of all time. The line and length of McGrath have been unparalleled in the cricketing world. McGrath holds the record for most World Cup Wickets than any other player in the history of the game. He had 563 Test Wickets in 124 Test Matches and 381 ODI wickets in 250 ODI’s.
Curtly Ambrose:
Curtly Ambrose along with Courtney Walsh implanted fear in opposition with their fast and accurate bowling. They transformed West Indies cricket like never before. Ambrose being the spearhead of the attack was phenomenal with his destructive bowling. His stats in test cricket is proof that 405 Wickets in only 98 matches in the era where batting greats used to dominate the game is just fabulous. He justified the tag of Unplayable on several occasions; one such occasion was when he took 7 wickets for 1 run in 32 balls.
Richard Hadlee:
Sir Richard John Hadlee is often regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history. He Transformed the art of fast bowling. He went on to take 431 wickets in his 86-Test Matches and was the first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, a record which was broken by Kapil Dev. He is widely considered as the most celebrated example of bowling with a new ball and the first ?Sultan of Swing?. He made batting miserable for all the most prominent batsmen of his era.
Dennis Lillee:
Raw pace bowling is the term that comes to mind when one hears or reads the name. He was a total nightmare for the batsman with his sheer speed. He was a true pioneer who set the right example for his successors. He was the first in history to reach the 350 wickets mark in Test Cricket. In the 70 test matches, he played he took 355 wickets with a great average of 23.92.
James Anderson
Living Legend Jimmy took 632 Test wickets, the highest by a fast bowler, with an average of 26.6. He is also one of three bowlers to have scored two hat-tricks in ODI cricket and one of three – Test cricket. His 166 matches are the highest matches played by any fast bowler in the world. He is still going strong as of the last series played against India.
Dale Steyn:
South African Legend with the ability to swing the bowl both ways and his fiery bouncers were hard for batsmen to deal with. He was the spearhead of South Africa’s premier fast bowler and was the leader of the bowling department. He Took 439 test wickets only in 93 Test Matches. His 15 years career is regarded as the best golden time of South African cricket.
Shaun Tait:
Shaun William Tait, another right-arm fast bowler, has served the Australian cricket men’s team and his fast bowling was unique in many ways. His bouncers and precise yorkers used to get him most of the wickets. His career was short-lived but his performances won his team many matches.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
