Bowlers usually use pace to trouble batsmen irrespective of the situation or conditions. But as they mature and earn more experience they tend to rely on swing bowling and seam bowling techniques. A fast delivery ranges between 136 to 150 km/h but bowlers can vary their pace to surprise or confuse the batsman. A look at some of the greats of the game and the Top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history. 10 – Lasith Malinga One of the most feared and consistent performers in world cricket, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga comes in at Number 10 with a speed of 155.7km/h in 2011 in India. Malinga developed his own technique of variations including the slow yorker. 9 – Dale Steyn An aggressive bowler and the ability to bowl deadly reverse swing makes Dale Steyn one of the top bowlers in modern era. The number one Test bowler is placed ninth for his blistering pace of 155.7km/h against New Zealand. 8 – Shane Bond Known as New Zealand’s best bowler after Richard Hadlee, Shane Bond had the ability to consistently bowl at the speed of 145km/h. He was the first pacer to reach the 150km/ph mark during the 2001-02 season. However, Bond recorded 156.4km/h in the 2003 ICC World Cup. 7 – Muhammad Sami Considered one of the fastest Pakistani bowlers after Shoiab Akhtar, Mohammad Sami is best known for his five-wicket haul for just 10 runs in 2003. He has the ability to bowl quick yorkers and swing the ball at high pace. He has unofficially bowled the fastest delivery in cricket when he clocked at 164 km/ph during a One Day International match. But his actual record reads 156.4km/ph 6 – Fidel Edwards Edwards was selected for his Test debut against Sri Lanka after just one game for Barbados, but a promising career was hit by injuries and inconsistency. His ODI debut against Zimbabwe produced his career best figures of 6/22 in 7 overs. Edwards’s fastest ever delivery was at the speed of 157.7 km/hr. 5 – Andy Roberts One of the greatest bowlers in cricket history, Andy Roberts was part of the most devastating pace attack from the 70′s to the early 80′s. The West Indian was part of the World Cup winning team in 1975 and 1979. His fastest ever bowl was recorded at 159.5km/ph. According to Imran Khan, Roberts was one of the most terrifying bowlers he had ever faced. 4 – Jeffrey Thompson Thompson was one of the fastest bowlers alongside Deniss Lillee during the 70′s. The combination of Lillee and Thompson made them the fastest opening pair ever in Test cricket. He has played 50 Tests matches and claimed 200 wickets. During a contest in 1978, Thompson came first with a delivery clocked at 147.9km/hr. This Australian legend comes in at fourth position with the delivery speed of 160.4km/h against West Indies in Perth 1975 3 – Shaun Tait Tait is considered one of the fastest bowlers in the world regularly reaching the 150km/hr mark. Retired from Tests and ODI cricket, Tait only plays T20 internationals and during a game against Pakistan in 2010, Tait’s delivery measured 160.7km/hr, the fastest ball ever recorded in Australia. 2 – Brett Lee Lee was not only one of the fastest pacers but also a handy lower order batsmen. He was also known as an athletic fielder. His fastest ever bowl was recorded at 161.8km/ph, but it was an unofficial game not not recognised by the ICC.However, his fastest ever bowl was clocked at 160.8km/hr. Due to constant strain on his shoulders, Lee was prone to injuries. Lee has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests and 380 wickets in 221 ODIs. 1 – Shoaib Akhtar The fastest ever bowler in cricket history Shoaib Akhtar recorded 161.3 km/hr against New Zealand. Known for his performances against India during the 1999 ICC World Cup, Akhtar is known to have won many fast bowling records. He was first bowler to reach 100mph and has bowled at speeds of 160km/hr 3x, 159km/hr and 158.4km/hr
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 15:43:14 +0000
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